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

BMW M5 manual mess-up

By Chris chilton Motor Industry 27 January 2007 01:34 North American customers were delighted when BMW bowed to their demands for a full three-pedal manual version of the current V10 M5 super saloon, but aren’t quiet so enamoured with the finished product. The issue is not with the gearbox itself – BMW successfully replaced the European model’s seven-speed SMG box with the old-shape M5’s six-speed manual – but with the compromises that were needed to get there. Without the benefit of computer control for the opening and closing of the clutch plates, M division’s engineers couldn’t eliminate axle tramp under hard take-offs.

Rolls-Royce gets Personal at 2010 Paris show

Cars like the Fiat 500 and Mini may be available with pick ’n mix customisation options, but those are mere bolt-on Mr Potatohead additions compared to the kaleidoscopic wizardry available to Roller owners. Showcasing its ‘personalization programme’ (personalization with a ‘z’ for the Americans, programme with an ‘mme’ for us stick-in-the-muds) at the 2010 Paris motor show, Rolls-Royce has served up five bespoke examples of its current range. Heavens, no.

'Dracula' rides through Transylvania

A BRITISH man dressed as Dracula has just completed a bizarre road trip through historical Transylvania, riding a classic Ural motorbike fitted with a coffin as a sidecar. Nick Cunningham, 47, has just completed the ghoulishly good three-day journey along some of Europe’s best roads and scenery. And as if Dracula wasn’t enough for the locals to cope with, Nick’s companion for the trip, six-foot-four Nick Jackson, was dressed as Frankenstein’s Monster.