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

Nissan creates a self-cleaning Note – and this one’s for real. (video)

The Nissan Note that cleans itself The Sunday chore of cleaning the car is beloved (and loathed, in equal measure) by those who’d rather do it themselves than pay a man with a bucket, a sponge and a chamois  to oblige. But regular car washing – for anyone – could be a thing of the past thanks to a new nano-paint technology. The newly developed super-hydrophobic and oleophobic paint manages to repel water and oil, which means stuff like everyday dirt, mud and rain don’t have the chance to cling to the car’s paintwork.

Toyota Auris revised and Icon Plus trim added – price from £14,495

The 2014 Toyota Auris (pictured) gets a bit of a makeover Toyota has decided it’s time to make a few tweaks to the Auris – nearly 2 years on from its debut –  so both the Hatch and Estate are getting changes, the hybrid version gets more trim options and there’s a new trim level – Auris Icon Plus. The Auris Icon Plus comes with a new set of 16″ alloys, privacy glass, folding electric door mirrors and the option of a new Tungsten Blue Metallic. Inside, the Icon Plus gets heated front sports seats, the new Toyota Touch 2 with SatNav and cruise control (but only on the petrol and hybrid versions.

Europe’s economic problems sees UK become biggest Ferrari market in Europe

The Ferrari F12 (pictured) helped Ferrari to strong profits in the first half of 2013 The economic crisis in the Eurozone has seen Ferrari’s sales in countries like Italy and Spain plummet, and Greece managed just one sale in 2012 (and even that came to the UK). But Ferrari have a plan to keep profitability by limiting supply and achieving stronger revenues for the sale they do make – with stuff like Ferrari’s bespoke Atelier and Tailor Made services and Classiche work adding more revenue – to keep them powering forward, and it seems to be working despite poor sales in many European countries. In fact, despite an increase of just 2.8 per cent in volume, Ferrari has managed to increase their profits in the first six months of 2013 by an impressive 20 per cent, with total sales of 3,767 and net profits of €1.22 million.