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

VW Concept BlueSport at Detroit auto show 2009

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 12 January 2009 05:29 CAR's been tipping it for ages, but today we finally saw the first proof of VW's ambitions to build a Lotus Elise-style back-to-basics roadster. The Concept BlueSport is a mid-engined sports car with the emphasis firmly on the lack of frills – to the benefit of performance, handling and the car's environmental credentials. The BlueSport is compact at just 3999mm long and that mid-mounted engine keeps weight distribution even-Stevens at 45:55.

EV maker Coda trims staff

Not much more could go wrong for electric-car maker Coda, which has struggled to sell its four-door EV in the United States since officially launching it here in March. But Web reports, first seen at www.plugincars.com, say the company laid off 50 employees, or 15 percent of its workforce, last week, mostly in the sales and marketing departments. Efforts by Autoweek to contact Coda have not been successful.

Campaign for Fair Car Insurance Renewals

Privilege & Zurich - 2 of the worst offenders in our small sample Cars UK are calling for Insurance Companies to quote their ‘Online’ price for car insurance as a comparison when insurance renewal letters are sent. Car Insurance is big news, with prices rising by 40 per cent in the last year according to the AA, and cash-strapped motorists struggling to meet the soaring costs of insuring their car. Shopping around for a car insurance quote is undoubtedly the best way to make sure you get the best price possible, but for many that’s difficult, and many older drivers want to stay loyal to ‘their’ insurance company.