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

Mercedes launch new 9G-Tronic gearbox on E350 BlueTec

New Mercedes E350 BlueTec (pictured) gets 9-speed 9G-TRONIC auto It’s not exactly a million years ago that automatic gearboxes offered poorer performance and economy than manual gearboxes, and came as standard with just three gears. But now, automatic gearboxes are so good they can  change quicker than any driver and, with the proliferation of eight-speed auto ‘boxes, offer improved economy and performance too. The next logical step is even more ratios in an auto ‘box, and Land Rover has already revealed they’ll be fitting the Evoque with a 9-speed ZF ‘box from 2014, and the new Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a nine-speed auto ‘box too.

Audi reveals 2014 TT interior at CES

To reveal a new car’s interior before we’ve even seen a concept sketch of the whole vehicle sketch seems odd. But nevertheless, that’s exactly what Audi has done with its 2014 TT, unveiling the car’s cabin at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The German firm’s choice of venue is significant, too, underlining how the new TT will “come with a new generation of electronics and connectivity features.” On Bing: see pictures of the 2014 Audi TT Find out how much a used Audi TT costs on Auto Trader The new TT will feature the same “Audi virtual cockpit” as the Audi Sport Quattro laserlight concept – also unveiled at CES 2014 – representing the first appearance of the new tech  a production Audi.

Porsche Macan ‘FAILS’ Moose Test – but there’s a reason (+video)

The Porsche Macan locks its front brake in the Moose Test The Moose (or Elk) test is a maneuverability and stability test commonly carried out in cold countries to test the behaviour of cars when subject to extreme avoidance tests – such as when trying to miss a Moose that’s wandered in to the road. The Moose Test is probably best remembered as the potential downfall of the original Mercedes A Class, when Teknikens Värld  Magazine conducted a test on the then very new – and groundbreaking – high-riding A-Class, when it rolled over and cost Mercedes a small fortune in re-engineering to restore safety credibility to the A-Class. Now it’s Porsche’s turn to come under the spotlight after Teknikens Värld ran a test on a Macan S Diesel that exhibited some strange behaviour during the test.