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

High-five for Mini's new, larger hatchback

THE LONG-RUMOURED five-door Mini hatchback has finally been unveiled, featuring an extra seat, more legroom and a larger boot than the three-door. By using a longer and wider body, the five-door is able to offer 72mm more legroom for rear passengers, who can also now access the new row of three seats via small but useful rear doors. Boot space is up to 278 litres, which although still comparatively low is 67 more than the three-door hatch can boast.

Nissan 370Z unveiled at LA Auto Show

By Ben Pulman Motor Shows 19 November 2008 17:10 Nissan pulled the wraps of its new 370Z coupe at today’s LA Auto Show, and confirmed that a Roadster version will arrive within the next 12 months. Topping the list of 370Z talking points are a shorter wheelbase, a larger engine, a seven-speed automatic and the world’s first rev-matching six-speed manual gearbox. Nissan dubs it the ‘SynchroRev Match’ function (they would, wouldn't they?), and it essentially blips the throttle to smooth out any shifts.

Renaultsport Megane N4 rally car (2010) first pics

Renault's added the new Megane Renaultsport N4 to its current rally range. The N4 draws on a group of heritage Renaults stretching over a quarter of a century - including the 5 GT Turbo, R11 Turbo, R21 Turbo, R19 16V, Clio Williams and Clio Renaultsport. To cope with all sorts of terrain, the Megane uses three-way adjustable shock absorbers.