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

Aston gets ultra-quick paddleshift

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 28 September 2006 06:35 Aston Martin today unveils a new, Ferrari-style paddleshift transmission for the V8 Vantage. Dubbed Sportshift, the automated manual promises gearchanges in less than 200millisec, faster than you can swap cogs with the six-speed manual. Developed over the past 18 months with Magneti Marelli, the electro hydraulic six-speed box has numerous modes.

Michelin Pilot Super Sport launches

Ferrari 458 Italia - just one of the Michelin Pilot Super Sport shod Supercars at the launch At the beginning of October – when it was already starting to feel as if we were in mid-winter on some days – the nice man from Michelin (that’s Paul, not the Michelin Man) called and asked us if we’d like to go and play with their new tyre – the Michelin Pilot Super Sport -  on some appealing cars. Sadly, too few staff and too much to do meant we had to decline his kind offer. Although it was very hard to do when we realised it would have meant a few days in the sun in Dubai and the chance to drive some of the world’s finest cars, shod with Michelin’s replacement for the Pilot Sport PS2.

Jaguar Land Rover production in Saudi Arabia – but not for a long time

Jaguar Land Rover are mulling the idea of setting up an assembly plant in Saudi Arabia next to a new aluminium smelting plant. When you’re Ratan Tata, and you not only run one of the biggest conglomerates in the world but also the culturally British Jaguar Land Rover, the world tends to listen when you speak. So when Ratan Tata said in an interview last week with Autocar India that JLR were looking at setting up an assembly plant and press shop in Saudi Arabia, the car world woke up and declared ‘Jaguar Land Rover to build cars in the Middle East’.