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

Best new car sales in six years

RECORD new car sales achieved a six-year high in 2013, the motor industry has announced. A total of 2,264,737 new cars were registered in 2013 - a 10.8% rise on the 2012 figure and the best annual total since the pre-recession year of 2007, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. The 2013 total was boosted by a 23.76% rise, to nearly 153,000, in sales in December - the 22nd successive month of increases.

Lotus Evora 414E Range Extender EV moves forward

The Lotus Evora 414E – a Lotus Engineering range extender hybrid project – is still moving ahead with dynamic and durability testing now underway. On the surface the Evora 414E looked like every other Evora, but under the skin sat the first version of a Lotus range-extender platform with a pair of electric motors and a small, 3-cylinder range-extender engine promising impressive performance and economy. Despite the reveal of the 414E at Geneva in 2010, there’s not been a huge amount of news on Lotus pushing forward with the project, or at least not until we got the Infiniti Emerg-E Concept at Geneva this year that turned out to be underpinned by the Evora 414E platform.

Prince Harry burns rubber at Goodwood

EVERYONE’S favourite Royal fun-lover Prince Harry took to the race track at the weekend with a visit to the famous Goodwood Motor Circuit. After being welcomed by keen petrolhead Lord March, owner of Goodwood, the Prince put in some hot laps in a classic Aston Martin DB4, before jumping into a Lamborghini Gallardo for an even faster run as part of his activities for the Royal Foundation Endeavour Fund. He obviously enjoyed himself, because after that he drove more laps in a Jaguar F-Type and an Aston Martin V8 Vantage before getting down to the business end of his charity-centred visit.