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

2014 Toyota Corolla loses Furia's flair, but theme remains

The all-new 2014 Toyota Corolla debuted last week with a fresh look, confirming that the Furia concept Toyota brought to the Detroit auto show was more than just an exercise in styling. The Furia concept's sporty and flashy design intrigued us, and while the 2014 Corolla is an upgrade from the bland Corollas of the past, it also glosses over most of the flair of the Furia. So, what hints did Toyota reveal with the Furia concept, and what got cut on the design-room floor?

Suzuki puts kibosh on Kizashi sedan, report says

Japanese automaker Suzuki has backed off plans to build large cars and build assembly plants overseas, according to a report in the Nikkei business newspaper. Suzuki has shown a series of concept vehicles named Kizashi that executives said were pointing toward a production version of a large sedan. And pictures of sedan protoypes have been captured by spy photographers.

VW Touareg BlueMotion hits the UK

Volkswagen has announced the VW Touareg BlueMotion for the UK Offering improved economy and lower emissions, the Touareg BlueMotion manages to drop in to a lower Co2 band by emitting 219g/km (a reduction from 244g/km on the V6 TDi) and it delivers 34mpg as opposed to 30.4mpg on the V7 TDi. These improvements have been achieved by the usual ECU tweaking, low rolling resistance tyres, some aerodynamic tweaks and a lower ride height (exactly the same sort of stuff that Ford has done on the EConetic range). And the penalty for the lower emissions and better economy is very slight, with the Touareg BlueMotion still managing the 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds and a top speed of  126mph.