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

Brabus unleashes Mercedes-Benz SL850 6.0 Biturbo

We still remember a time when Brabus' Mercedes-Benz cars were tough to pick out in a crowd, but with the current generation of cars from this Bottrop-based tuning house everyone will be able to spot them from a mile away. Given the maximum speed of some of its cars, that's not a bad thing by any means. And even though Brabus has recently attracted attention for its treatment of the facelifted G-class and the new Mercedes-Benz S-class, their latest reworking of the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG is sure to reset the bar when it comes to the SL-class.

Skoda Rapid & Rapid Spaceback GreenLine from £17,195

Skoda Rapid & Rapid Spaceback GreenLine (pictured) cost from £17,195 With the Skoda Rapid already on the market, and its sibling with a hatch – the Rapid Spaceback – about to launch, Skoda is introducing the emissions-friendly GreenLine versions of both cars. Both the saloon (liftback) and the Spaceback (hatch) get the same 89bhp 1.6 litre diesel driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. Despite differences in dimensions and weight, Skoda are claiming the same 99g/km emissions and 74.3mpg for both saloon and Spaceback, practically perfect if you’re a company car driver.

Multi-touch UI reduces touchscreen interaction to simple swipes [w/video]

Touchscreens have become widespread standard features in many cars over the last few years, consolidating the modern car's many functions into one interface. But despite their advantages there's the big downside of driver distraction, something user interface designer Matthaeus Krenn believes he has solved with his UI. Unlike most other touchscreens, Krenn's interface isn't organized into menus and small, hard-to-hit buttons, but instead makes use of multi-touch gestures, reducing the accuracy and attention needed to operate key functions.