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

UK 2011 car sales analysis: winners and losers

The UK car market fell 4.4% in 2011 to its worst year for at least a decade. Brits bought 1,941,253 vehicles last year as private motorists put off that new car purchase and stuck with their existing wheels or went secondhand. Retail sales took the brunt of the fall, with a 14% collapse on 2010's figures.

Mini Convertible (2009): the new R57 cabrio

By Simon Stiel First Official Pictures 28 November 2008 10:46 Mini has just issued the first photos of the new R57 Mini Convertible, which rolls into dealerships in March 2009 and follows the lead set by the latest hatchback. So it's cleaner, a little bit more polished inside and out, and there will probably be evidence of some middle-aged spread when we drive it in 2009.So what's new on the R57 Mini Convertible?All the changes are in line with the Mini hatch, so you get the latest PSA-shared 1.6 petrol engines, BMW group Efficient Dynamics – now redubbed Minimalism in Minispeak – stop-start and intelligent alternator control, helping to contribute to a 22% jump in fuel efficiency, Mini claims. The 1.6 Cooper pumps out 137g/km of CO2.

CONFIRMED: McLaren P13 will arrive in 2015 to take on Porsche 911 & Audi R8

McLaren has confirmed the McLaren P13 will arrive in 2015. The original plan for McLaren’s new range of supercars was that the 458-bashing 12C would arrive first (which it did) followed by a more affordable mid-engined car – think nearer £100k than £200k – to mop up sales from the Porsche 911 and Audi R8. But McLaren decided they should get the P1 out before the P13 so they could give their dealer network a nice halo model, and go head-to-head with LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder.