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

Seat Leon and Altea facelifts (2009) first photos

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 09 February 2009 12:36 Seat has given its Altea and Leon ranges a neat visual facelift, complemented by the introduction of new common rail diesel engines and enhanced levels of luxury and safety kit. The new-look models will make their debut at the Geneva motorshow in early March, alongside the new Exeo estate and a yet-to-be-seen Ecomotive concept. According to Seat, the new-look Altea and Leon families adopt Seat’s ‘Arrow Design’ look introduced on the Ibiza by Seat design boss and ex-Lamborghini designer Luc Donckerwolke to create a more consistent visual look to the Spanish range.

New Peugeot 208 production cut as sales disappoint

Peugeot is cutting back on production of the new 208 as its sales fail to reach expectations, just six months on from launch. It’s not enough when Europe is ion the midst of an economic crisis and car buyers are polarised between ‘budget’ cars that offer more for less than mainstream offerings and ‘Premium’ models that are bought on the back of a preconceived notion of more kudos. That leaves car makers like Peugeot (and Renault, Citroen, Vauxhall, Ford, Opel, Fiat…) between a rock and a hard place, unable – or unwilling – to compete with the offerings from Korea and saddled with a brand that doesn’t have the ‘class’ of an Audi or a BMW or a Mercedes or even a VW.

'Top Gear' caught testing McLaren P1

The “Top Gear” boys were hanging in Belgium this week, shooting for the 21st season of the British television show. Some time next season we'll see the guys test this McLaren P1, caught by an observant YouTube poster. The video starts with the crew ogling the P1 supercar in the garage at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, before the camera car, a matte black Mercedes SUV, and the McLaren hit the track.