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

Frankfurt Motor Show news review: making sense of the 2013 IAA show

Newspress Frequently the car that attracts people’s attention at motor shows is an exotic-looking beast that everyone ‑ creators included ‑ know will never see the grind of a production line. Unusually, at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show press day, the car on everyone’s lips was a model that many journalists have already driven, and for which dealers are already taking orders: the BMW i3. With its skinny tyres and boxy, upright stance, the all-electric model isn’t as easy on the eye as the usual headline-grabbers.

Renault teases new Captur crossover

Renault has teased its Captur crossover ahead of its full unveiling on Friday. The image shows the front-end design of the car, which flags up many of the same cues as the latest Clio, unveiled in Paris last year. The tapering headlamps across the corners are instantly recognizable, for example.

Nissan LEAF £2500 UK price drop

Nissan has revealed that the LEAF EV will be reduced in price by £2500 with immediate effect and ahead of the launch of the uprated 2013 LEAF. The world hasn’t exactly fallen in love with electric cars, which has as much to do with the fact that an electric car, with its limited range, is never going to be a replacement for a normal ICE car. But compounding the impracticality of the EV as a replacement for the ICE car is the very high prices car makers are charging for electric cars, the sort of prices that mean buyers will probably find the ‘Cheap to Fuel’ EV a more costly option than fuelling a much cheaper comparable iICE car with petrol or diesel.