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

Drivers living in their vans

BRITAIN'S van drivers have admitted to turning their vans into mobile bedrooms as they spend more time in their vans than at home. In a survey of the country’s van drivers, 11% admitted to using their van as a bedroom for convenience. A further 31% said they used their van as an office, while half of all van drivers take their tea break in their work vehicle.

Concept Car of the Week: Opel CD (1969)

Despite its sophisticated suspension and spacious interior, Opel struggled to sell its big Diplomat luxury sedan. It was 1968 and Opel simply couldn't compete with Mercedes-Benz, the leader in that segment by far. Bob Lutz, then a young executive at GM Europe, thought of using the sedan's chassis to create a large GT Coupe in an attempt to boost both its sales and profile.

Bertone Jaguar B99 GT concept (2011) at the Geneva motor show

Bertone B99 GT – the racing version Next to the fully-trimmed B99 show car on Bertone's stand is an exterior mock-up of a GT2-class racing B99.  Two additional electric motors up front mean the GT has 972bhp all wheel drive capability.  A carbonfibre splitter, diffuser and flat undertray are matched with a massive bootlid wing.  There's enormous side-exit exhausts for the range-extender generator, a 100mm lowering job and a lurid green paintjob.  It’s an extreme way for Bertone to highlight the dual images of luxury and performance that Jaguar has in its heritage – particularly since there aren’t currently any saloons in the FIA GT2 series.  Perhaps they should have painted it in a '70s Broadspeed XJC touring car livery to get the full effect. More details on the Bertone B99 exterior design Bertone claims that it has modernized classic Jaguar three-box saloon design with the B99, with Bertone’s design chief Mike Robinson and his team drawing inspiration not just from past Jaguars, but the stealthy big cat that lends its name and image to the brand.  They coined the slogan "Cunning Glamour with Race-Bred Innovation” to embody the B99’s design… but from the two cars on the stand it looks like reconciling those disparate aims in the one vehicle may have been a bit beyond them. The roofline has been shortened and lowered in proportion to a conventional three-box body, inspired by a Jaguar cat stalking its prey.