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

VW Concept BlueSport at Detroit auto show 2009

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 12 January 2009 05:29 CAR's been tipping it for ages, but today we finally saw the first proof of VW's ambitions to build a Lotus Elise-style back-to-basics roadster. The Concept BlueSport is a mid-engined sports car with the emphasis firmly on the lack of frills – to the benefit of performance, handling and the car's environmental credentials. The BlueSport is compact at just 3999mm long and that mid-mounted engine keeps weight distribution even-Stevens at 45:55.

Toyota Prius Plug-in price & options: Costs £32,895

Toyota Prius Plug-in - arrives in July & costs £33k The Toyota Prius Plug-in finally arrives in July 2012 and will cost £32,895 in a single spec plus a range of options. Toyota has been promising the Prius Plug-in would arrive in Toyota UK showrooms for quite some time and it looks like they’ve managed to pin that down to July. Probably.

European car sales down 5.2%

EUROPEAN UNION car sales are still sagging despite the return of modest economic growth. For the first eight months of the year, passenger car sales were down 5.2% to 7.84 million compared with the same period last year, the European Auto Manufacturers' Association said - the lowest January-August figure since the group started keeping records in 1990. New car registrations in August fell five per cent from a year ago to 653,872.