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

Nissan creates a self-cleaning Note – and this one’s for real. (video)

The Nissan Note that cleans itself The Sunday chore of cleaning the car is beloved (and loathed, in equal measure) by those who’d rather do it themselves than pay a man with a bucket, a sponge and a chamois  to oblige. But regular car washing – for anyone – could be a thing of the past thanks to a new nano-paint technology. The newly developed super-hydrophobic and oleophobic paint manages to repel water and oil, which means stuff like everyday dirt, mud and rain don’t have the chance to cling to the car’s paintwork.

Smart ForTwo (2006): first official pictures

By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 10 November 2006 08:31 New Smart ForTwo: the lowdown These are the first pictures of the new Smart ForTwo, which goes on sale in the UK in September 2007. The Mk2 city car looks much the same, but it's had a thorough overhaul. In comes a 1.0-litre engine with more power, mated to an automated manual transmission that's claimed to eliminate today's slow and jerky changes.

MSN Cars' Ian Dickson and Steve Walker to leave

Microsoft MSN Cars' journalists Ian Dickson (above left) and Steve Walker (right) are to leave the team at the end of 2013. The pair, who produce much of the content you read here day-to-day, have notched up an impressive 10 and a half years' combined service between them. Senior editor Ian Dickson joined MSN Cars in September 2006, while content editor Steve Walker arrived in September 2010.