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

The no-show cars: a reader rant on mad concepts

Instigated by Harley Earl at General Motors in the late 30s with the quaintly named Buick Y-Job, show cars, or concept cars, were presented to an excited public eager for new things. As the world recovered from a depression and then a war, these vehicles pointed to a better future that many people believed in, including the people who produced them. And, although many of the concept cars of the 50s, with their Jetsons plexiglass roofs and notional nuclear powered engines seem ludicrous now, in their time they weren’t that cynical.

SsangYong SIV-1 Concept heading for Geneva

Another new SsangYong Concept – the SsangYong SIV-1 – is heading for Geneva 2013 to join the new Rodius debut. SsangYong are heading to the 2013 Geneva Motor Show with a new version of the Rodius, which we’re hoping (although not with too much confidence) will be a big improvement on the very challenging looks of the current car. The hope that SsangYong will manage to deliver a Rodius that doesn’t frighten small children is boosted today with the first photos of a new concept from the Indian-owned Korean car maker – the SsangYong SIV-1 Concept (pictured above) – which will arrive at Geneva alongside the new Rodius.

75% of BMW 2 Series Active Tourer buyers will be new to BMW

75% of BMW 2 Series Active Tourer buyers will be new to BMW The new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer – BMW’s front wheel drive small family mover – went on sale in the UK in May and looks set to take on the Mercedes B Class and bring new buyers to the BMW brand. BMW say they are expecting around three quarters of all buyers of the new 2 Series Active Tourer will be new to the brand, which is a big opportunity for BMW. BMW purists may bemoan the front wheel drive setup as a betrayal of all BMW stands for (although you will be able to get xDrive 4WD versions), but for BMW it’s a very pragmatic way to go.