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

Mini Vision concept: what does it say about the brand's future?

The sight of Mini design head Anders Warming presenting a holographic, 3D projection of the Mini Vision concept as if appearing in his own cartoon was certainly a new one on us, but it captured the quirky, slightly left-field image the subsidiary of BMW Group has cultivated since its relaunch 13 years ago. As the 'Vision' tag suggests, this is billed as a marker of intent for the brand's future design direction rather than a pre-production teaser of the new Mini hatchback (Cooper in most markets) we'll see later this year. However if the third-generation 'new' Mini doesn't look remarkably similar we'd be amazed, such is the level of productionized detailing on this purely digital model.

Peugeot 407 Coupe (2009) drops petrol engines

By Richard Webber First Official Pictures 10 July 2009 09:40 Peugeot has dropped petrol engines altogether from its gawping 407 Coupé and will only be offering oil-burners in the revised range. The reworked 2.0-litre unit improves in economy and power, but the big news is a new 3.0-litre V6, which will be Peugeot’s most powerful production engine ever. The V6 unit was a joint development by PSA and Ford, and produces 241bhp and a hefty 331lb ft of torque between 1600 and 3600rpm.

Nissan Leaf gets battery warranty boost

Nissan Motor Co. plans to bolster the warranty of the battery module in its electric Leaf to reassure consumers of its durability. The company intends to notify current owners and dealers early next year that it will make the warranty retroactive to cover all existing Leafs, offering to repair or replace the car’s lithium-ion battery if it loses more than 30 percent of its ability to hold a charge after five years or 60,000 miles.