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

Chris Evans’ CarFest North. Just as big as CarFest South

Chris Evans’ second petrolhead extravaganza – CarFest North at Cholmondeley Castle – has been as big a success as CarFest South. It may be a new petrolhead show on the calendar, but Chris Evans’ CarFest Shows have been a real success, not just for visitors but for the BBC’s Children in Need charity. This last weekend saw CarFest North try and follow in the footsteps of last month’s CarFest South, which it appears to have done in style, pushing the amount raised for Children in Need up to £800k from both CarFest events.

Skoda confirms two new models

Skoda Vision D at Geneva - Skoda's new design direction It’s now got to the point with Skoda where the skip-on-wheels reputation of the ’70s and ’80s – and even the ‘Cheap’ VW tag of the ’90s and ’00s – has been completely eclipsed by the perception of Skoda as quite simply the maker of some crackingly good cars. Cars like the brilliant little Skoda Fabia vRS – which we’d take over the Polo GTI (much more character) – and the equally brilliant Skoda Yeti which, although it might not quite live up to Clarkson’s recent tongue-in-cheek assertion as the best car in the world is, nonetheless, exceptionally good. That change in perception is clear in the confident model range on offer from Skoda and the clever way in which it’s marketed.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage ends & big changes afoot at Aston Martin

Launched as a limited edition V12 Vantage in 2009, by 2010 Aston decided there was enough demand to make the V12 Vantage a proper part of Aston’s standard offerings, and since then it’s been the same. The V12 Vantage has also spawned a Roadster version (which, we think, stays in production – at least for now) and the slightly bonkers V12 Zagato, which conspired to look a bit too extreme for an Aston and cost an arm and a leg. We know that AM sold around 1200 V12 Vantage Coupes, around 100 V12 Vantage Roadsters and a handful of V12 Zagatos, but now the run is at an end and we do wonder if there will be a replacement?