Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

New Nissan Micra loses ground in Europe over quality issues and no diesel option

Nissan Micra Sales fall in Europe Nissan trumpeted the new Micra as its ‘Global Compact Car’ in the run-up to its reveal at Geneva last year. And by ‘Global’ they meant ‘Produced in Emerging Markets’. Which is a big change from the last generation Micra which was produced in Sunderland, but a move that seemed to make sense in a world where small cars in emerging markets are a priority, and where cost of production is much lower.

LA Motor Show: Huge numbers define new Mercedes S 65 AMG

TWELVE cylinders, two turbochargers, 5,980 cubic centimetres, 621bhp and 738lb.ft of torque are numbers designed to catch the eye. These are the figures boasted by the new Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG, which has made its motor show debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The stats are good enough to endow the standard-bearing saloon with epic performance, including a 0-62mph time of just 4.3 seconds.

2013 Land Rover Freelander 2 facelift coming

Land Rover are working on a mild facelift for the Freelander 2 for 2013 as it comes towards the end of its shelf life. It’s almost two years since Land Rover last facelifted the Freelander 2, a car that’s been with us since 2006, when they threw in some minor cosmetic tweaks, the first FWD Land Rover and gave us a more powerful diesel option. Somewhere prior to that Land Rover had quietly dropped the V6 petrol engine (in the UK, at least), so adding a more powerful version of the 2.2 litre diesel made sense as did providing a lower price entry point in the FWD Freelander.