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

Vauxhall VXR8 & SMART for-two CDI take MPG Marathon honours

Vauxhall VXR8 & SMART for-two CDI take MPG Marathon honours On the face of it, it’s reasonable to expect a car as small as the SMART for-two CDI to be capable of astonishing economy if driven in a certain way. And the ALD Automotive / Shell FuelSave MPG Marathon, run last week near Cirencester, proved exactly that, with a SMART driven by Mick Linford and co-driver Ella Flynn managing to use less than four gallons of diesel to cover the 370 mile route. That means the SMART fortwo CDI averaged 99.24mpg on the route on real roads, an improvement of 16 per cent on the official combined figure of 85.6.

Australian Grand Prix Qualifying: Hamilton takes pole for Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton taking pole position for the 2014 Australian Grand Prix It’s all change for 2014 in the world of F1, with new turbo V6 engines making funny noises and new nose cones looking as odd as the engines sound. But one thing hasn’t changed – it’s Mercedes and Red Bull fighting for the front. Lewis Hamilton took a stunning pole in tricky, wet conditions on the last lap of final qualifying to edge out the Red Bull in to second spot.

In pictures: the new £5m Haynes International Motor Museum

Anyone who has headed to the West Country on the A303 over the past two and a half years can’t have failed to notice the building work going on at the Haynes International Motor Museum. The museum - which first opened its doors in 1985 - has been the subject of a £5 million modernisation project. But finally - some ten years after the original plans were drawn up - the new and much improved Haynes International Museum is now open to the public.