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

Do Winter Tyres REALLY work? Oh, yes, say Volvo (+ video)

Volvo prove how effective Winter Tyres are in the Snowdome For some reason, the debate on fitting winter tyres in the UK continues to be a debate, even when those who’ve actually used a car fitted with winter tyres swear by them (an argument not helped by previous government advice). So Volvo – safety conscious as ever – decided to prove the point by taking the very good Volvo V40 off to the Snowdome indoor ski slope in Tamworth to see exactly what difference a set of winter tyres makes to the grip available in a regular, FWD, family Volvo. And the results should make every car owner go out and fit winter tyres.

Beating the motoring bullies

A NEW INITIATIVE has been launched to help women protect themselves from aggressive drivers and potential dangers if their car breaks down. The Women in Gear scheme includes an evening workshop course to teach basic maintenance and useful get-you-home tips. These are aimed at helping women sort out minor problems with their car rather than having to wait at the roadside for help.

VW Beetle GSR: Price from £24,900

The Beetle GSR is a homage to the Yellow-Black Racer Beetle from the 1970s (GSR stands for Gelb Schwarzer Renner – which means Yellow-Black Racer) which featured a similar paint job, boosted power (a whole 49bhp) and was also limited to 3,500 units. But the 2013 version of the Beetle GSR does at least offer much more get up and go than the 1970s GSR managed. That means the GSR comes with VW’s 2.0 litre turbo with 207bhp which is enough to get the yellow Bug to 62mph in 7.3 seconds on its way top 142mph, and is the same power output all Beetles with the 2.0 litre TSI will get from May 1st (up from 197bhp).