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

F1 Budget Cap – No two-tier system says Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone says there will be no two-tier system in the F1 budget cap row [ad#ad-1] All eyes have gone off the stunning start to this year’s F1 circus with the news that Ferrari, Renault, Red Bull and several other teams have threatened to quit F1 next year in protest at the budget cap proposal and the two-tier system that appears to create. In a nutshell, the FIA – lead by Max Mosley – has imposed a £40 million cap on F1 team expenditure for next year (excluding driver costs, marketing costs and transport), but has said that teams who don’t adhere to the cap can still compete, but will be handicapped. Not surprisingly, the richer teams have objected and, on the face of it, it starts to look as if F1 as we know it is going to bite the dust.

Driven: Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Just over 25 years ago, in November 1982, Mercedes Chief Designer Bruno Sacco introduced his new 'baby' 190, codenamed W201. Billed as the new compact Mercedes, it was a successful model that lasted a full ten years until being replaced by the first C-Class (W202). This model – the first with the triangular tail lamps – lasted until 2000 when it was replaced by the W203, a more softly-styled update of the W202 model, with the 'peanut-shaped' linked double headlamps.

EBay exotic: 1980 BMW M1

What we have here, according to the seller, is an actual one-owner, 4,418-kilometer (2,739 miles) BMW M1, recently imported to the United States from Germany. That's right--the original BMW supercar, one of 456 reportedly built. While the 277-hp straight-six may not sound too impressive today, keep in mind that the European Ferrari 308 only made about 250 hp at the time.