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

The fall and rise of the budget car

Twenty years ago, the classic bargain brands like Lada seemed to be going the same way as the Soviet empire that spawned them. Woefully dated and badly made, only a weirdo would have bought a new Lada rather than a second-hand model from Ford, Vauxhall or VW. However, one of the big trends in the car industry today is the re-emergence of bargain cars.

New Mercedes V-Class MPV revealed

The new Mercedes V-Class MPV (pictured) offers a more car-like experience The new Mercedes V-Class is the replacement for the Mercedes Viano, and Mercedes hope potential buyers will view it as a luxury MPV with proper Mercedes passenger car appeal but with room for up to eight passengers. It seems likely Mercedes are also hoping the new V-Class will attract former buyers of the now defunct R-Class, families who’ve outgrown a family car and business users too. If you can get over looks that still say ‘Van with Windows’ despite a complete makeover from the Viano (although the Viano Vision Diamond offered a very upmarket look and fittings), Mercedes should be in with a fighting chance of hitting the mark with the new V-Class.

Exclusive: Honda to Close European Design Studios

In a surprise announcement, Honda has decided to close design operations in Europe, based in Germany. The decision to shut down both the car design and motorcycle design studios of Honda R&D Europe (HRE-G) in Offenbach, near Frankfurt was taken at the end of September and came as a shock announcement to employees. It represents the latest casualty in cuts for the car design community.