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

Opinion: Discovery Sport and the long-term ramifications of pandering to the crossover convergence

Having pored over the first pictures of the new Land Rover Discovery Sport and consumed the accompanying official literature, we’re left wondering why it shares so much of its design treatment with the Range Rover Evoque, while simultaneously removing the last vestiges of utility from the Discovery nameplate. From its virtually indistinguishable grille and lamp graphics, over its tapered roofline to its bespoilered tail, it’s hard to describe it as anything other than a derivative of the Evoque. The difference between a Discovery and a Range Rover it would seem, is a body coloured C-pillar.

New Vauxhall Astra VXR (2012) revealed

Vauxhall Astra VXR (2012) gets revealed We’ve been expecting news of the new 2012 Vauxhall Astra VXR for a while, especially as Vauxhall intend launching the hot Astra in 2012. And now we have a little more on the VXR – and some photos – although Vauxhall hasn’t put a price on the Astra VXR yet. The Astra VXR is based on the underpinnings of the Astra GTC – which Vauxhall managed to reveal at least three times before it finally went on sale – so it has two doors, a longer wheelbase and a wider track than its five-door rep-mobile sibling.

One Lap of the Web: The Legend of Ludacris, McLaren engine removal and the Lotus Seven

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- Want to see a McLaren F1 get major surgery?