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

Businessman opens private toll road

THE BUSINESSMAN behind a private toll road by-passing a closed commuter route is confident he will not have to sell his home if the venture fails. Mike Watts, 62, has until Christmas to recoup his £300,000 investment or face losing his house. He is charging motorists £2 per journey to use his bypass made from rolled chippings and avoid the closed section of the A431 between Bath and Bristol.

Rumormill: Aston Martin Cygnet could get V12

A few years ago, if you would have asked us about 500-hp city cars, we would have said, “Awesome, but never going to happen.” We were proven wrong with last year's Nissan Juke-R and we may be proven wrong again with a V12-powered Aston Martin Cygnet. That's right, Autocar reports that Aston is studying the feasibility of taking the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet and shoehorning the V12 from its Vantage and DB9 models. Aston says it could fit the V12 in the tiny car's engine bay without major modifications.

New Routemaster bus hits London streets

The very first new Routemaster hybrid bus began its first day of service in London today. The bus, whose exterior and interior were designed by Londoner Thomas Heatherwick, retains the distinct character of the old Routemaster – British as the London taxi and red telephone boxes – but is far more modern in its design and construction. The new Routemaster's main design features are its three sets of doors and two staircases, which it is hoped will ease the strain during rush hour in regards to alighting and entering the bus.