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

Hot seats: from design to delivery [sponsored]

As the user demands on car interiors are increasingly influenced by their growing design consciousness, so suppliers like Lear strive to bring better-engineered seating to satisfy. 2013 was another big year for Lear, as Jeanette Puig-Pey, its global fabric & leather design manager, enthuses: "At our ‘Design2Perform' event we celebrated the unveiling of our brand new collection, with special emphasis on color and texture and our TeXstyle Enhance product, perfect for customization. Laser etching is part of this offering, it is exclusive to Lear Corporation and can be used to add refined design elements to cloth and leather." A mix of fabric and leather in seating is not new but is often seen by the consumer as a cheaper alternative to full leather.

Jaguar Land Rover doubles its profits

Jaguar Land Rover has reported sales up by 29 per cent in the second quarter of their financial year and profits up by 100 per cent. It’s a rough car market out there – especially in Europe – but Jaguar Land Rover continues to grow its sales with revenues up by over 13 per cent, sales up by 29 per cent and pre-tax profit up by 100 per cent to £431 million. These are strong figures from JLR and reflect the strong sales of the Evoque around the globe (100,000 and counting) and remarkably strong sales for the old Range Rover, despite the 2013 Range Range Rover about to hit showrooms.

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction II fetches £1.23 million

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction II - sold for £1.23 million The continuation of the Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato – the Sanction II cars – hits a new price peak of £1.23 million at Bonhams Aston Martin Sale. Last month we reported that one of just four Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction II Coupés was up for grabs at Bonhams Aston Martin Sale at Newport Pagnell and expected to make £1.2 million. It made almost exactly that – £1.23 million, a new record in auction for a Sanction II car and a record sale at Newport Pagnell.