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

Councils urged to shun yellow lines

COUNCILS are being asked to cut unsightly yellow lines as part of a Government drive to rid the streets of clutter. Local Transport Minister Norman Baker has urged local authorities to think about using restricted parking zones, instead of automatically opting to use yellow lines to control parking, particularly in single streets and environmentally-sensitive areas in towns and cities. Restricted parking zones require a limited number of signs which tell motorists if they can or can not park and during which times and are considered less intrusive than conventional yellow lines.

Final second-generation Mini leaves production line

THE FINAL Mini hatchback of the current generation has left the production line in Oxford, after more than a million were made for customers around the world. There’s no time for production staff to rest, though, with assembly of the new Mini hatchback already under way alongside the many other Mini model derivatives. In total, more than 1.8 million hatchback Minis have been built at the factory since 2001, of which 1,041,412 were the currently outgoing model.

Automotive X Prize teams begin performance testing in Michigan

The 28 teams competing in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize will begin performance testing this week at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. The teams are vying for $10 million in prizes, which will be awarded to consumer-friendly vehicles that exceed 100 mpg. This week begins the first of the three on-track performance testing stages: shakedown, knockout qualifying and finals.