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

Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept unveiled

The Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept has been unveiled ahead of its official debut at the New York Auto Show on Wednesday 16 April. The bold concept car hints at how an all-new, fourth-generation version of the family 4x4 will look and also sets the tone for an entire family of  Discovery models. Land Rover confirmed last week that the Vision Concept would give a taste of the design language that will be used on more than one Discovery model.

Ah, to be in Paris . . .

Well, I'm bummed. The Paris motor show press days are next week, and I'm not going. That's right; while my colleagues are cavorting in one of the world's great cities, I'll be here in the Paris of the Midwest, holding down the proverbial fort.

Jaguar hybrid cars due in 2013-14

Jaguar will launch its own hybrid vehicles soon after Land Rover, CAR can confirm. Parent company Jaguar Land Rover is developing battery-assisted hybrid versions for both brands but its strategy puts part-electric Land Rovers first on the launchpad in 2013.Hybrid Jaguars – set to include the XJ and XF, but eventually every model – are therefore likely to be on the market by 2013-2014, using a similar eight-speed ZF hybrid transmission to petrol-electric BMWs.The staggered roll-out of battery Jags and Land Rovers makes sense: heavy 4x4s have come in the firing line from green protestors who label them Chelsea Tractors. Hybrid Land Rovers will trim emissions and – in plug-in hybrid mode – enable even big bulky Range Rovers to drive in zero-emissions mode into central urban areas emitting nothing more unsaintly than an electric whir.So which Jaguars will go hybrid first?It's likely that the largest models such as the XJ will receive the hybrid power packs first; large cars reap the greater benefit and can more easily swallow the additional cost, put at around £10,000 in today's money.JLR's Midlands engineering bases in Whitley and Gaydon now employ 100 engineers in the expanding hybrid powertrain business unit launched 18 months ago.