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

Mini John Cooper Works GP (2012) first official pictures

Mini has unveiled the new top-dog Mini John Cooper Works GP - a limited edition, very fast, very expensive Mini hot hatch. Just 2000 Mini GP editions will be built, with first sales due for late 2012. Yes, it's a signal that current generation Mini is approaching its wind-down period ahead of the all-new, third-generation Mini models due to land from 2014.

Ferrari 458 Italia spider in the works, Di Montezemolo reportedly says

The Ferrari 458 Italia will get a spider version, company president Luca di Montezemolo told Italian reporters. The Ferrari chief says work is under way on the topless 458 and that it should arrive in about two years. The 458 coupe launches early next year.

BMW boss tells the truth about electric cars. And then has to apologise for doing so.

BMW US CEO Jim O'Donnell - "EVs won't work for more than 90% of drivers" Really, you do have to ask what kind of barking mad world we live in when the boss of a car company is forced to apologise for telling the truth, simply because it upsets a vocal minority (and his bosses, no doubt) We’ve been banging on for years about how useless electric cars are as a replacement for the internal combustion engine, and how they are really only viable as inner-city runarounds and as toys for the better-off. Even then, electric cars have their problems. As inner-city cars EVs certainly do the local environment a favour by transferring emissions to the point of electricity generation instead of the point of use.