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

Ariel's Atom returns faster than ever

BRITISH firm Ariel has announced an upgraded version of its sensational Atom sportscar that is faster than ever, making it one of the quickest cars on sale today. The Atom 3.5R showcases a number of upgrades over the outgoing model which contribute to the sensational performance. The 2.0-litre Honda V-TEC engine has had its supercharger revised to give 350bhp and over 240lb.ft of torque, while the gearbox is now a six-speed paddleshift system that can manage five downshifts in less than a second.

'Get tough on killer drivers' call

DRIVERS who cause death on the roads should be jailed for at least five years, according to the majority of motorists. Eighty-two per cent reckon sentences should be higher for those drivers who kill, a survey by road safety charity Brake and insurance company Direct Line found. Brake said the latest Government figures showed 62% of those convicted of killing someone through risky driving were jailed and only 9% got sentences of five years or more.

2012 Mercedes E63 AMG gets Twin-Turbo 5.5-Litre V8: New York 2011 Catch-up

2012 Mercedes E63 AMG with twin-turbo V8 It’s always the same; however hard we try there’s always something of proper interest that slips through the net when there’s a motor show on, and this time there’s likely to be more as New York and Shanghai are in full swing at the same time. Excuses out of the way, we thought we ought to take a look at the 2012 Mercedes E63 AMG, which has had a heart transplant to get Mercedes’ latest 5.5 litre twin-turbo V8. Out goes the naturally aspirated 6.2 litre V8 and in comes the forced-induction jobbie, promising more torque and much better economy.