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

Boris planning war on diesel car drivers – London Mayor wants drivers of diesel cars to pay more

Boris wants to charge diesel cars an extra £10 to enter London We’ve long banged on about the nonsense of basing the cost of motoring on the Co2 emissions of cars, and it seems the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, also realises that Co2-based taxation has led to a real pollution problem. As we reported as far back as 2010, petrol cars – certainly before the introduction of Euro 6 emissions recently – are far cleaner than diesel cars when it comes to the sort of stuff that really matters – NoX and particulates. And the problem has been exacerbated by basing car taxation on Co2 emissions as lower Co2 levels have been much easier for car makers to achieve on diesel engines, which is why diesel-engined cars now account for around 50 per cent of all cars sold in the UK.

Daihatsu Kopen concept stars at the Tokyo Motor Show 2013

This modest Daihatsu Kopen concept is indisputably one of the stars of the Tokyo Motor Show 2013. As the name suggests, it’s an all-new version of Daihatsu's tiny but fun, folding metal hardtop roadster sports car. And yes, it is now spelt with a K rather than a C.

Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

The Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer is a more rugged crossover version of the regular Insignia Tourer estate that we saw in facelift form last month. We’ll find out how much extra you’ll pay for the Country Tourer when it’s shown off at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2013. We're expected a price tag of £31-32k, compared to £28.5k for a standard Tourer with the same engine.