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

MINI John Cooper Works Paceman: The hot MINI Countryman Coupe arrives

The new MINI Paceman has been given a range-topping model in the guise of the 140mph MINI John Cooper Works Paceman. Debuts at Detroit 2013. The Paceman JCW gets a convincing setup, with the same 1.6 litre 216bhp 1.6 litre as the Countryman JCW which delivers 207lb/ft of torque – and an extra 14lb/ft from an overboost – enough to send the Paceman JCW to 62mph in 6.9 seconds and on to 140mph (139mph in the auto, not that it matters as performance is the same otherwise).

Nissan’s EV onslaught continues with Townpod

Nissan’s Townpod will be the company’s third electric vehicle (a battery-powered version of the NV200 commercial vehicle will slot in after the Leaf) and is slated for a late 2012 arrival in the UK. Looking remarkably like a character from Pixar’s Cars film, the Townpod takes the lithium-ion battery-powered drivetrain of the Leaf and cloaks it in urban friendly sheetmetal. The long wheelbase and zero overhangs results in a huge cabin, accessed by some trick doors – rear-hinged rear doors and a vertically split rear door.

Travis Pastrana canes the Global RallyCross Dodge Dart: Video

While Erik Carlsson showed the world that lunacy had an appropriate place in rallying—they didn't call him "Carlsson on the Roof" for nothing—it took Ken Block's marketing savvy and the paste-it-anywhere-and-watch ubiquity of YouTube to get a broad swath of American kids amped on the antic fun that can be had with an all-terrain compact car. In a bid to get that same group excited about the new Dodge Dart, Chrysler enlisted Travis Pastrana to pilot its Global RallyCross entry. And in a sort of low-budget, less-elaborate version of Block's wacky-upon-zany Gymkhana videos, Pastrana puts the Dart through its paces, losing the passenger-side rear corner of the bodywork in the process.