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

Persuaders Aston Martin sells for more than £500,000

ROGER MOORE'S signature Aston Martin from hit 1970s action adventure show The Persuaders! has been sold at auction for a world record £533,000. The 1970 Bahama Yellow DBS, which Moore's playboy character Lord Brett Sinclair drove on his adventures around Europe, was snapped up at Bonhams annual auction at the Aston Martin Works.

Volkwagen BlueSport Concept debuts with a diesel at the Detroit auto show

Volkswagen's long-rumored mid-engine roadster finally made its debut at the Detroit Auto Show. The Concept BlueSport slots its efficient 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel four-cylinder midship in the compact chassis, demonstrating the sporty possibilities of the engine. With 177 hp and a healthy 258 lb-ft of torque, the diesel powerplant propels the 2,640-pound roadster to 60 mph in just 6.2 seconds.

Toyota to close Australian design studio

Toyota designers at its Technical Center Asia Pacific Australia (TTCAP-AU) are to lose their jobs as part of Toyota's decision to scale back the facility's activities as well as halting all manufacturing within the country by 2017. The TTCAP-AU, which carries out all its Australian design and evaluation operations, employs 150 designers and modelers and it's possible that its activities with the Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion models could be scrapped, raising doubts over its future. Around 2,500 employees at Toyota's Altona manufacturing plant are expected to lose their jobs, although the effects are likely to be wider ranging.