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

Mitsubishi at the Paris motor show 2008

By Guy Bird Motor Shows 06 October 2008 09:13 The heavily revised Mitsubishi Colt was the biggest real-world news for the Japanese brand at Paris. It now gets the large signature jet fighter grille from its bigger Lancer brother, alongside a whole new front end, interior changes and a Ralliart version.  It’s not just a nose job, honest. The rear of the car gets smaller lights rather than the previous full-length ones, partly for ease of crash repair, and interior ergonomics have been improved – the rear seats now fold flat for instance.

SEAT Ibiza Good Stuff – Shakira’s SEAT

The SEAT Ibiza Good Stuff Limited Edition models are always a seller. It’s a good way for car makers to shift metal and as long as the buyer wants the goodies bolted on its a cheaper way to get a specced-up car. But sometimes car makers produce a car for a different reason.

Lexus IS 300h promises unrivalled ownership costs

The new Lexus IS - launched at Detroit in January and costing from £26,495 for the IS 250 in the UK – actually offers ownership costs that eclipse diesel offerings from the likes of Jaguar, BMW, Audi and Mercedes, say Lexus. Despite the logical assumption that the complex hybrid powerplant in the IS 300h would cost more to maintain, Lexus say the opposite is true. Because it has no clutch and the starter motor and alternator are integrated they require no servicing or replacement and Lexus has fitted a timing chain instead of a timing belt, so it won’t need regular replacement either.