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

New MINI 5-door Hatch revealed – but will you fit through the back doors?

The 5-door MINI hatch arrives We’ve already had the more BMW-like new MINI arrive, and now, for the first time, we get a MINI 5-door hatch to try and extend the appeal of the MINI range to families. The 5-door MINI gets an extra 72mm in the wheelbase and a pair of doors at the back – which do look very tight for full-size people to use – and there’s also an extra 15mm of headroom, a bigger boot and seating for three in the back. In terms of design, there’s little to choose between the 5-door and the 3-door, but the new 5-door does look a bit like the off-spring of the new MINI and the Countryman; just a little dumpy.

Crazy self-driving Rinspeed XchangE concept for Geneva 2014 debut

You can rely upon Swiss concept specialists Rinspeed to release something suitably crazy on the run up to their home Geneva Motor Show – and 2014 is no different, it appears. This is the Rinspeed XchangE, a self-driving autonomous car that shows "what will move us tomorrow," according to the firm; it’s "the office and living room on wheels." Natch. Please click on the image above to read more about the 2014 Rinspeed XchangE concept

New MoT failure figures reveal surprises

BETWEEN January and August 2013 253,000 vehicles failed their first MoT, according to new data. 70 million records from the Vehicle Operation and Services Agency (VOSA) were examined to reveal the patterns of failure for cars receiving their first MoT, required three years from the date of first registration. However, while the best performers have pre-existing reputations for reliability, the bottom of the table reveals some surprises.