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

Peugeot 308 GT arrives as Hatch & Estate (SW)

The Peugeot 308 gets a warm makeover with the arrival of the 308 GT The new Peugeot 308 started arriving in the UK at the start of 2014, but the choices didn’t include a hot, or even a warm, version for those who want a bit more get up and go in their family hatchback. So the arrival of the new Peugeot 308 GT – as a hatchback or estate (SW) – is welcome, even if the 308 GT comes in the ‘warm’ rather than ‘hot’ category. We’ll have to wait for a 308 GTi or a production version of the Peugeot 308 R for proper get up and go.

Smaller Mercedes SLS confirmed, and with front-mounted V8 too

Baby Mercedes SLS AMG - or at least how it could have looked if mid-engined We’ve believed for some time that Mercedes were planning a smaller version of the SLS, but so far there’s been no official word. But that’s now changed, with AMG’s Christoph Jung telling AutoExpress that Mercedes and AMG are currently working on a smaller SLS, to go head-to-head with cars like the Porsche 911 and Audi R8. Interestingly, we’d thought that Mercedes would go the route of a mid-engined two-seater for the baby SLS, and that it would probably get a turbo V6. But it would appear not.

Volkswagen XL1

This, remarkably, is the production version of the Volkswagen XL1, the most fuel-efficient production car in the world, a car we'll see in Geneva in a little over a week. Barely changed from the concept version shown at the Qatar motor show two years ago, the production XL1 is the first production result of VW's 1-liter project – to design a car that uses less than 1l/100km (282.5mpg imperial) – that started with the lozenge-shaped, tandem-seat 2003 1L and the later L1 of 2009. The XL1 actually beats that by sipping just 0.9 liters with CO2 emissions of 21g/km.