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

MINI celebrates 100 years of car production in Oxford

MINI will be celebrating a century of car production in Oxford on 28th March 2013, 100 years since the first Bullnose Morris Oxford was produced. It’s 100 years since the first Bullnose Morris Oxford rolled out on 28th March 1903, since when 11,655,000 cars have been built – with as many as 28,000 people employed in its heyday – and even Tiger Moth planes and Iron Lungs built alongside 80,000 repairs to Spitfires and Hurricanes during WWII. What is now MINI’s Plant Oxford was founded by William Morris – and Morris Motors kept control until 1952 – and has been owned and run by BMC, then British Motor Holdings (when Jaguar arrived), British Leyland (when Leyland Trucks, Triumph and Rover joined), nationalisation in the 1970s saw a variety of names, Rover Group arrived in 1986 and was subsequently privatised and sold in 1994 to BMW.

Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake (2012) first pictures

This is the Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake. It's the production version of the Shooting Break Concept first shown at the 2010 Beijing auto show. An estate version of the CLS four-door coupe, Merc is hoping to repeat the trick it pulled off when it established the 'coupaloon' market with the original CLS in 2004.

VIA Motors to bring electric vehicle lineup to LA Auto Show

Via Motors will be displaying its range of electric trucks at the upcoming LA Auto Show, and visitors will get the opportunity to try its VTRUX vehicle. Haven't heard of VIA Motors? It's an EV startup with a factory in Mexico that will outfit full-size GM pickups and vans with its own extended-range electric powertrain.