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

Euro NCAP: iQ, Avensis, Impreza, C3 Picasso, Lancer, 6

By Alex Michaelides Motor Industry 19 February 2009 12:40 It’s a good day for the safety of new Japanese cars as the first round of 2009-style Euro NCAP safety ratings are released. Of the six cars tested, full five-star marks were dished out to the Toyota Avensis and Toyota iQ, as well as the Mitsubishi Lancer and Mazda 6. Meanwhile, the Citroen C3 Picasso and Subaru Impreza were awarded four stars.

Audi Sportback unveiled at Detroit auto show 2009

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 12 January 2009 04:14 Audi dropped some strong hints about two forthcoming models with its new Sportback concept car. The show car hogged the limelight at the Detroit auto show 2009 – and the Audi group chairman Rupert Stadler confirmed to CAR Online that it previewed a Sportback verison of the A5 coupe. While Avant signifies, for Audi, the estate breed, Sportback indicates a more practical hatchback/fastback model.

New Aston Martin Vanquish Volante arrives – costs £200k

The New Aston Martin Vanquish Volante (pictured) costs £200k It’s almost exactly a year since the Aston Martin Vanquish arrived as a replacement for the DBS, and now we get it’s convertible sibling – the new Aston Martin Vanquish Volante. Aston are claiming the new Vanquish Volante is the stiffest Aston convertible ever and have also managed to keep the usual weight increase for a soft top down to just 9kg by giving the Volante a full carbon fibre body. The result of that is the Volante manages to produce exactly the same performance figures as the Vanquish Coupe – 0-62mph in 4.1 seconds and 183mph – from its 565php, 6.0 litre V12 and shouldn’t, we hope, shake and shimmy in the way many Aston convertibles do in the process.