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

BMW Concept5 X5 eDrive revealed. It’s a plug-in Hybrid X5

The BMW Concept5 X5 eDrive (pictured) will debut at Frankfurt The arrival of the BMW Concept X5 eDrive ahead of its debut at Frankfurt next month doesn’t preview and immediate addition to the X5 range of a plug-in hybrid, but it does show what will be on offer in a year or two. Just like yesterday’s Mercedes S500 plug-in hybrid, the X5 eDrive is another example of how car makers have developed their way round CO2 taxation levels by throwing electric motors at ICE engines to create a car that offers impressive emissions and economy on official tests. In the case of the X5 eDrive that means a four-cylinder twin power ICE engine (BMW aren’t saying, but we’re assuming its a petrol engine), a 94bhp electric motor and a lithium-ion battery under the boot all working together to produce an X5 that is capable (at least in official tests, which is all that matters) of 74.3mpg and emissions under 90g/km.

Abarth 695 “Tributo Ferrari” – Official

Interior of the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari which is heading for Frankfurt Fiat say that the Tributo Ferrari is distinguished by substantial modifications that have been developed by Abarth and Ferrari. Most substantial of these is probably the 1.4 litre turbo, which has been tweaked to give over 180bhp. But the revisions all round are quite a bit more than a cosmetic job to create a cheap baby Ferrari.

Campaign to tackle used car faults

A NEW INITIATIVE by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) to help the public avoid the dangers of buying a used car has been launched. It comes after research by the TSI that shows a half of all used cars show up with a fault within a month of being bought by a new owner. In the past 12 months, the TSI has received 84,000 complaints about used cars.