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

Electric cars amped up with £500 million boost

THE GOVERNMENT is to extend the £5,000 grant scheme open to anyone who buys a car with plug-in electric power. It is part of a £500 million move to encourage car owners – and city authorities – to take up the electric car baton and run with it. The initiative will give cities a chance to win government funding to further the sales of electric cars in their areas, for example by allowing them to use bus lanes or park for free.

Watch the Weather Channel Tornado Hunt SUV find its target

A chase crew from the Weather Channel drove its GM SUVs directly into the path of an oncoming violent tornado Friday, resulting in this dramatic video from inside what appears to be a Chevrolet Suburban being tossed across the Oklahoma plains like a child's toy. Meteorologist Mike Bettes and his colleagues escaped relatively unharmed thanks at least in part to seatbelts and airbags, but the team will need to visit their local Chevy dealer for some minor repairs prior to heading out on another chase.

2013 VW Golf TDI BlueMotion Mk 7 costs from £20,335

Starting at £20,335 for the 3-door BlueMotion and rising to £20,990 for the 5-door, the new Golf also emits just 85g/km CO2 (which would have been enough for free London Congestion charging, but not any more) which is 15 per cent better than the previous Mk 6 TDI BlueMotion managed. VW has managed to tweak the Golf BlueMotion’s economy figures still further by reducing weight, fitting super low rolling resistance tyres (that run with higher pressure), longer gear ratios, stop-start and aerodynamic tweaks. Thos aerodynamic tweaks includes modifications to the front of the Golf to reduce drag by nearly 10 per cent, adding a roof spoiler, air guide elements on the back window, a masked front grill, smoother underfloor and a reduction of ride height by 15mm.