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

Tokyo motor shows: past, present and future

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 20 August 2009 09:30 As bets in this topsy-turvy, unpredictable industry go, it’s a banker: of all the motor shows on the global calendar, the Tokyo exhibit is always the barmiest. Although the Chinese shows are rising in importance – and amusement value –  there’s something peculiarly bonkers about the biannual Japanese bash held in downtown Tokyo. So strange is the exhibition at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba City to westerners, that you don’t bat an eyelid at talking cars, vehicles with feelings, or cars designed for dogs.

FCA issues warning on logbook loans

VULNERABLE people who use their car as security to take out a loan are finding themselves squeezed even harder financially and even threatened, the City regulator has found. The Financial Conduct Authority warned it will put firms offering logbook loans out of action if they do not "dramatically" improve their standards, after finding evidence of poor behaviour including little or no affordability checks being carried out and some applicants being encouraged to manipulate details of their income. It said lenders are failing to properly spell out exactly how expensive such debts will be, with the true cost often masked by an emphasis on "low" weekly repayments and key terms and conditions buried in small print.

Volvo to unveil new SUV tomorrow [w/video]

Volvo will premiere a mystery new vehicle tomorrow after releasing a series of three teaser videos. The highly ambiguous videos, which give few details of the car, all feature members of the band Swedish House Mafia, which end with the words "Leave The World Behind" and the date of its official debut. You can catch sight of the vehicle in the distance during the second video (left), however, which looks to be the rumoured XC40 compact crossover, rather than the larger XC90 SUV.