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

German Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton beats Vettel to pole

Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes (pictured) takes pole at 2013 German Grand Prix It looks like ‘Tyre-Gate’ has been quashed before it started at the German Grand Prix, with a new tyre from Pirelli, no punctures and teams under order for minimum tyre pressures. But new tyres or not, it’s still Mercedes and Red Bull at the front of the grid, with Lewis Hamilton snatching pole position from Sebastian Vettel in the last throw of the dice in final qualifying by 0.103s. Behind Vettel was Mark Webber in the second Red Bull, followed by Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean in Lotus and Daniel Ricciardo in the Toro Rosso.

Skoda Octavia Hatch GreenLine arrives offering 88.3mpg – price from £20,150

Skoda Octavia Hatch GreenLine (pictured) promises 88.3mpg Even though official economy figures from car makers are, at best, disingenuous, they still serve, to a degree, and an indicator of a car’s relative economy. So the arrival of the Skoda Octavia Hatch GreenLine in Skoda’s UK showrooms with official economy figures of 88.3 mpg and emissions of just 85g/km, makes it an appealing offering for cost conscious private and fleet buyers. The Octavia Greenline Hatch  looks pretty much the same as any other Octavia, so you won’t be driving a car that shouts ‘I’m a cheapskate’, but you will get extra eco stuff like low rolling resistance tyres on 16″ Velorum alloys to give you the best chance of getting close to the official economy figures.

Vauxhall: Ellesmere Port plant saved – 700 new jobs created

Vauxhall Ellesmere Port - Saved General Motors is to keep Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port open, move to three shift working and create 700 new jobs. The overcapacity of mainstream car manufacture in Europe as the market becomes ever more polarised between premium and budget cars – squeezing the middle – means car maker having to rationalise their output. Many thought that could mean the end of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port as GM sought to stem its European losses (around £2 billion in the last three years), especially as it is easier to close plants and lay off workers in the UK than in mainland Europe.