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

Nissan design chief Shiro Nakamura talks style with AW

Nissan's design chief Shiro Nakamura stopped by One AutoWeek Tower on Friday afternoon during his visit to Detroit to share some insight on current and future styling trends for his company. Nakamura, who is best known to enthusiasts for his work on the GT-R, says the current state of design is relatively strong, and the business may be on the verge of another golden age. Nissan is also pondering the look of a version of the Leaf for its luxury Infiniti brand.

New Mercedes SL 400 replaces SL 350

The new Mercedes SL 400 (pictured) replaces the old SL 350 It’s a little over two years since the latest Mercedes SL arrived, and Mercedes has now decided to add a little zest to sales by dropping the old SL 350 and replacing it with a new Mercedes SL 400. The new SL 400 gets its power from the new E400 which means a twin-turbo 3.0 litre V6 with 328bhp and 354 lb/ft of torque – 26bhp and 81 lb/ft more than the old SL 350 – enough to let the SL 400 scoot to 62 mph in 5.2 seconds – 0.7s better than the 350 -= and on to a limited top speed of 155 mph. The new SL 400 has to make do with Mercedes tried and tested 7-speed auto – despite a new 9-speed now being available in Mercedes’ arsenal – which gives the SL 400 official economy of 38.6 mpg and emissions of 172g/km – not that you’ll come close in the real world.

New diesel engine for revised Meriva

VAUXHALL’s clever Meriva compact MPV is to benefit from a new 1.6-litre diesel engine. The quieter, smoother and more efficient engine replaces the aging 1.7-litre unit that had been in service across the Vauxhall, Chevrolet and other General Motors brands for many years. This is the second application for the new engine, following its debut in the much larger Zafira Tourer.