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

Ford once planned to race fiberglass-bodied Mustang touring cars

Tucked away on page nine of the May 9, 1964 issue of Competition Press and Autoweek is an intriguing little story: “FIA Rejects Ford Bid for Homolgation [sic].” At the time, the Mustang had just made its world debut, but Ford was already scheming to fold the car into its “Total Performance” campaign. The automaker apparently proposed to do so with a fleet of crazy fiberglass-bodied touring cars. According to Competition Press, Ford tried to get the new Mustang classified as a touring car for international racing.

CAR tech: who's to blame for your car's terrible fuel economy?

In early 2013 Audi lost a case brought by the Advertising Standard Agency (ASA) because of ‘misleading’ fuel economy figures used in an advert, after a customer complained they couldn’t get anywhere near the 68mpg quoted. The court case once more exposes the yawning gap between officially sanctioned mpg figures and those experienced by owners. A recent study by the Independent Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) looked at cars sold in the UK and Europe, and discovered the difference between official mpg figures and real-world driving had grown from 8% in 2001 to a barely believable 21% in 2011.

2015 VW Jetta makes global debut at New York auto show

The 2015 Volkswagen Jetta is making its global debut at the New York auto show, and the changes for the new model year -- while not exactly breathtaking -- should help VW's volume-seller keep up with the competition. That includes the likes of the 2015 Chevrolet Cruze and 2015 Ford Focus, which are also showing off refreshes in the Big Apple. To start, VW says the mildly redesigned front fascia reduces drag (and gives a “wider and more substantial look” to boot!) with a new bumper and air intakes.