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

Volkswagen e-Golf goes on sale – price from £30,845

The Volkswagen e-Golf (pictured) is now on sale in the UK The Nissan LEAF has almost had the market place for proper family EVs to itself until recently, but the arrival of the impressive BMW i3 -especially when specced with a range extending motor – threatens to make a dent in LEAF sales, and another dent could come courtesy of the new Volkswagen e-Golf, which goes on sale today in the UK priced from £30,845 (£25,845 after taxpayer bribe). In most of the ways that matters, the e-Golf is a regular Golf MK 7, but lurking under the familiar exterior lies a thumping great bank of batteries weighing 318kg (about the same as a car full of passengers) and an electric motor driving the front wheels and good for 113bhp. Range for the e-Golf is up to 118 miles from a full charge, a charge that will take 13 hours from a regular 3-pin socket, a more acceptable 8 hours if you use the optional 3.6 kW wallbox you can spec (for free from British Gas) and a quick charge of up to 80 per cent in 35 minutes.

Exclusive: Joel Piaskowski to head Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design NA

Thanks to our contacts within the automotive design community, Car Design News can confirm that Joel Piaskowski, who resigned from his position as Chief Designer at Hyundai's North American design studios on December 19, 2008, will be taking over the position previously held by Gorden Wagener at Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design. He starts his new job on Monday, January 12. Mercedes-Benz has made a few changes to its design team since taking over the Carlsbad facility from Chrysler last year, notably the retirement of Prof.

Renault Initiale Paris concept (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

The Renault Initiale Paris concept previews the next-gen Espace, with a view to shifting the new MPV upmarket. Whether a Renault people carrier can be taken seriously as an upmarket proposition is up to you, but there’s no arguing with some of the exceptional attention to detail dotted around the Initiale Paris. What’s under the Renault Initiale Paris’s bonnet?