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

Audi A1 1.6 TDI nips below 100g/km Co2

Audi A1 1.6 TDI - beat the congestion charge It’s of no use whatsoever for anything that actually matters, but getting below 100g/km Co2 is a big marketing deal for any car maker. Which is why Audi has been busy tweaking the Audi A1 1.6 TDI. Since launch, the A1 1.6 TDI has been churning out 105g/km which, although it’s all of tuppence a week, gets charged VED simply because the government has decreed Co2 to be the measure of a car’s frugality (it’s not).

Is the 2013 Aston Martin Rapide getting more power and a facelift?

The rumours are growing that Aston Martin are giving the Rapide a makeover for 2013 with more power and cosmetic tweaks. The rumours have been bubbling around for a while that Aston Martin are planning a more powerful Rapide for 2013, perhaps the Rapide S. But that rumour seems to be only partly true, as it looks like the Rapide is going to get more power – and a bit of a cosmetic tweak – but as a facelift and upgrade for the existing Rapide rather than a new Rapide S.

The Future Role of the Vehicle Designer

The vehicle design department at the Royal College of Art hosted the second in a series of five lectures looking at the future of the profession last week. Moving on from the previous week's topic of sustainability, this debate explored the future roles and responsibilities of the vehicle designer. Head of department Dale Harrow began by posing the question "Is it time to rethink – do we still need the car?" Although still relevant, Harrow's ultimate answer to this was that the profession was about to see marked change, with the end to an era where "designers are locked behind closed doors in studios".