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

'Make electric cars loud and safer'

ELECTRIC AND HYBRID cars should be made louder to protect people with eyesight problems, an MP and charities have urged. Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) said the Government should first ensure the vehicles are safe for all road users after pledging millions of pounds in subsidies for the ultra-low emissions market. She believes sound generators should be fitted to the vehicles to ensure visually-impaired (VI) pedestrians are aware of them.

Driven: Mini Countryman

There has been no more contentious a car launched this year than the Mini Countryman. It's been labeled by some as sacrilegious to the very essence of the Mini brand, of 'selling out' and, yes, of being ugly. But does the concept of a four-meter Mini translate to use in the real world?

Ford completes $14 million overhaul at its German design studio

Ford has opened a $14.5 million expansion of its design studios at Merkenich-Cologne in Germany. Global design work for Ford's subcompact and compact vehicles, including the Fiesta and the Focus, is done at the center, which is close to the automaker's Cologne factory where the Fiesta is built. The expansion is the largest since the studios were constructed in 1968 and increases the size by about 32,300 square feet to about 172,000 square feet.