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

Volkswagen XL Sport Concept gets Ducati power: Paris 2014

The Volkswagen XL Sport Concept (pictured) gets Ducati power The Volkswagen XL 1 may well be an impressive ‘Supercar’ (that’s super-economical, rather than plain ‘super’), but it’s a daft amount of money and, unless you’re trying to make a ‘Green’ statement, not for everyone. But this Volkswagen XL Sport Concept is a more appealing car – both visually and mechanically – as VW take the XL 1 and rework it in to a sports car with a little help from Ducati. Because under the skin of the XL Sport lies a 197bhp V2 that’s come from Ducati (just as we reported a year ago) and delivers 197bhp through a seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box, with a reduction gear between engine and gearbox to boost torque, revs to 1,000 rpm and can get to 62mph in 5.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 157mph.

Britain leads bumper year for Ferrari

FERRARI may be struggling on the Formula One track, but its bank accounts are in fine shape after profits reached new record highs. After delivering 3,631 cars in the first six months of the year – 3.6% fewer than the me period in 2013, in line with the company's plans to reduce deliveries – revenues were up 14.5% to almost £1.35 billion. Profits rose 5.2% to £185 million, which should pay for a good send-off for the outgoing Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo after his 23 years of service.

New Mercedes B Class Hydrogen Fuel Cell delayed until 2017

Mercedes has decided to delay production of its B Class Hydrogen Fuel Cell car until 2017 as it seeks partners for economy of scale. We learnt last year that the new Mercedes B Class would spawn a version powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, and that Mercedes were planning to launch it in 2014. But that’s now been pushed back to 2017.