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

Manufacturers report 2013 sales boom

CAR MANUFACTURERS are reporting strong surges in sales for 2013, with one mainstream brand up by more than 55%. So far Ford, Vauxhall, Skoda, MG, Lexus, Renault, Audi and Mercedes have all reported excellent sales performance, with Mercedes having passed the 100,000 registrations per year mark for the first time in the UK. Largely thanks to the introduction of the Dacia brand this year, the Renault Group has seen a 55.3% rise in sales, to 63,319 units.

Ian Callum meets graffiti artist Mr Kaves and his one-off Jag [w/video]

A backstreet garage in Brooklyn, New York, is home to the company that preps Jaguars and Land Rovers for films and TV product placement. Hidden in the rear is a full-sized Thomas the Tank Engine, the presence of which no one can explain. Nearer the front is an XKR, delivered a couple of days ago for a unique paint job.

Hiriko folding car: The solution to urban car sharing? [w/video]

The Hiriko Driving Mobility Group has moved into the manufacturing trial of its two-seater electric microcar, which it hopes will offer a new car-sharing program that will transform the way we travel around our cities. The ‘first-mile' problem – moving between the commuter's home and mass transit hubs – and the ‘last-mile' problem – from mass transit to the workplace – has increased dramatically over the past few decades as more of us live in urban environments. 10 years ago researchers at the Michigan Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) decided to explore alternatives to shuttle buses and other ideas that failed to tackle the problem.