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

Mini Beachcomber Concept at Detroit motor show 2010

This funky beach-biased concept car has just appeared at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show in January. Called the Mini Beachcomber Concept, this flight-of-fancy Moke-inspired show car gives us our first glimpse of how Mini's production-spec 4x4 crossover will look at launch - we'll see the real car at the Geneva motor show in March 2010 ahead of an autumn UK launch. This four-seater, four-wheel-drive machine has been designed without doors or a conventional roof, so that its occupants are not cut off from the outside world.

Porsche Macan 2.0 litre 4-cylinder coming to the UK – but not Europe

The Porsche Macan 2.0 litre Turbo will be available in the UK Porsche quietly revealed their first car with a 4-cylinder engine in almost a generation at the Beijing Motor Show last month with the arrival of the Porsche Macan 2.0 litre turbo, produced to mop up sale in China. China’s tax system mitigates against thirstier, bigger-engined cars, so a 2.0 litre turbo attracts tax at less than half the rate of the 3.0 litre V6 in the Macan S, so it will be the big volume model for China. But the demand from China for the 2.0 litre Macan means Porsche won’t have the capacity to build it for other left hand drive markets, so Europe won’t be getting the little-engined Macan.

Warning to car owners ahead of peak MOT time

DRIVERS OF cars three years old and over are being warned of potential MOT pitfalls in the month of September. Due to the registration plate change in September and March each year these months also see a peak in the number of MOT tests, confirmed by statistics provided by the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA). Data has also revealed that a key area for MOT failures is vehicle lighting, which can be looked at ahead of the test.