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

Porsche Battery – a mere £1200

The rather expensive Porsche Lithium Ion Battery Car batteries have been roughly the same shape and size – and utilised basically the same lead-acid technology – for years. They’ve got better, as you no longer need to top them up with distilled water at regular intervals (I’m showing my age now), and they are less prone to going flat. But that probably has more to do with alternators replacing dynamos than the batteries themselves.

Ford Galaxy MPV spied stateside

Autoweek reader and frequent spy-shot contributor Spencer Abbott sends these photos of what appears to be a Ford Galaxy MPV -- or minivan, as we typically call the vehicles stateside -- testing in metropolitan Detroit. The Galaxy received a facelift in 2010, and that appears to be what we're seeing in these photos. Your guess is as good as ours as to why the vehicle was out and about near Ford's Dearborn, Mich., headquarters.

Exclusive: Frank Stephenson to become Design Director at McLaren

Thanks to our contacts in the automotive design community, we've become aware that Frank Stephenson, who until recently was Director of Design at Alfa Romeo, will be taking on a new role as Design Director at McLaren. "McLaren is pleased to confirm that Frank Stephenson will shortly join as Design Director," a company spokesperson told CDN, but would not reveal additional details. Stephenson was not prepared to comment.