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

Aston Martin at the Paris motor show 2008

By Ben Barry Motor Shows 03 October 2008 10:13 The buzz around Aston Martin continues. The now independent brand is teasing motor show visitors with a styling buck of the One-77 (the ultra-exclusive £1.2 million supercar that’ll be limited to a run of, yep, 77 when it arrives in 2009) that reveals just its front right and rear left aspects, plus there’s an automatic DBS on display and talk of exciting future Aston Martin projects. James Bond’s favourite Aston now comes with Touchtronic – a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox that’s borrowed from the DB9 but substantially beefed up.

Mercedes E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID – Africa to Goodwood on a single tank of fuel

The Mercedes E300 Hybrid – Africa to Goodwood on a tank of fuel It might cost more to buy a hybrid car than a regular ICE car, but if you do a lot of miles the fuel savings can be impressive and, with many modern cars, you can choose to use the extra electric motor for more performance when parsimony isn’t at the top of your agenda. A good example of a car that offers plenty of luxuries, decent performance and the ability to eke out a gallon of fuel further than you’d ever have thought possible is the latest Mercedes E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID. With a 201 bhp diesel engine and a 27 bhp electric motor, the Mercedes hybrid can get to 62 mph in 7.5 seconds, reach 155 mph and offers leather trim, COMAND, Climate and all the little luxuries that make time behind the wheel more bearable.

Volvo ReCharge Concept

By Ben Barry Motor Shows 13 September 2007 12:38 A Volvo hybrid? Let me guess, it appeases the greens but fails to deliver in the real-world The typical hybrid this is not. Instead of having an electric motor that only works at very low speeds before a regular engine cuts in, this C30 – dubbed ReCharge Concept – can be driven on electric-only power for 62 miles which is adequate for most commutes.