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

MINI Countryman Cooper & Paceman Cooper get ALL4 4WD

The MINI Countryman Cooper (pictured) & Paceman Cooper get ALL4 4WD We always find it astonishing that car makers ‘ration’ the availability of four wheel drive platforms in their cars, usually citing a ‘lack of demand’. But that lack of demand is usually predicated on the lack of supply, and increasing the supply of 4WD cars would see more sold, especially after a series of harsh winters where many motorists struggled to keep their cars in a straight line. So the decision by BMW to extend the availability of their ALL4 4WD setup to a wider range of MINIs is welcome, with the petrol Countryman Cooper and Paceman Cooper now getting the ALL4 option too.

New Mini Hardtop 4-door: First look

Meet the Mini Cooper Hardtop 4-door. The company has followed the surprise unveiling of its one-off Superleggera Vision roadster concept at the recent Villa d'Este Concourse d'Eleganza in Italy with this, a five-door production hatchback that is planned to join its North American lineup later this year. The new Mini model shares its front-wheel-drive mechanical package with the latest three-door Mini Cooper hatchback launched earlier this year but aims to provide more everyday practicality than its popular sibling through a combination of extended external dimensions and a pair of stubby rear doors.

Volkswagen Passat CC at Detroit show 2008

By James Foxall First Official Pictures 14 January 2008 03:26 The Volkswagen Passat CC might look like the bastard offspring of a shady encounter between a Phaeton and a CLS, but the German firm is hoping the new Passat spin-off will attract buyers after premium car style for a relatively affordable price. When it hits UK showrooms in late summer 2008, expect the four-seat, four-door CC – it stands for Comfort Coupe – to have a sticker price starting at around £19,000. This will make it less than half the price of its most affordable rival, the Mercedes CLS.