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

Jaguar Land Rover open new engineering test centre in Dubai

Jaguar Land Rover are growing at a tremendous rate, and that means more and more testing of cars to make sure they can cope with the extremes of climate they’re subjected to by owners around the world. So as part of their growing test programme, JLR have extended their testing and engineering facilities in the Al Barsha area of Dubai so they can test durability, calibration and hot weather testing for heat and humidity as well as test the powertrains, chassis, HVAC and, as this is Dubai and it has plenty of sand, they can also give the Land Rover Terrain Response systems a proper workout. JLR has been hot weather testing in Dubai for more than 12 years – an area where temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius – and the new facility replaces a much smaller one in the same area, and joins Jaguar Land Rover’s other test facilities at the Nurburgring, Arjeplog in Sweden and Phoenix and International Falls in the States to ensure all JLR’s new cars get subjected to everything from extreme hot and cold to track work.

Forget high beams -- lasers are coming

Audi has kicked off 2014 with the unveiling of an updated version of its Sport quattro concept car -- as first revealed at last year's Frankfurt motor show. Set to underpin the German carmaker's stand at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the latest incarnation of the bullish-looking two-door coupe showcases distinctively styled matrix LED headlamps with new laser light technology that, Audi officials suggest, will soon begin appearing on regular production models as a high-cost option. Already confirmed for the Audi R18 that will compete at the Le Mans 24-hour race later this year, the new headlamps use matrix LEDs and an aperture mask for low-beam mode.

Volkswagen Beetle Dune concept edging towards production

The Volkswagen Beetle Dune frolicking on the beach Back at the Detroit Motor Show in January, the Volkswagen Beetle Dune concept arrived as the perfect accessory for an outdoor lifestyle – especially if you’re in Southern California. Riding higher than a regular Beetle, with big wheels and a rack on the back for surf boards, sand boards or skis, the Beetle Dune Concept looked very close to a production car. Now, with Summer upon us, Volkswagen has released some new photos of the Dune concept frolicking around sunny locations in Germany and pointing firmly towards a production version.