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

VW Beetle Turbo, Jetta GLI get power increase

Volkswagen's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is getting a 10-hp boost; the engine is now rated at 210 hp while torque remains unchanged at 207 lb-ft. The engine will be available on the Volkswagen Beetle Turbo coupe and convertible and the Jetta GLI sport sedan. VW claims the new engine shaves 0.2 seconds off the Beetle Turbo's 0-60 mph time, which is now estimated at 6.6 seconds.

BMW i8 heading up the Goodwood Hillcimb in June

The BMW i8 is heading up the Goodwood Hillclimb The Honda NSX won’t be the only green supercar heading up the hillcimb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June – the new BMW i8 hybrid supercar will be too. BMW has announced that the i8 will be seen in action in the UK for the first time at the end of June when it too takes on the 1.16 mile Goodwood Hillcimb during the 2014 Festival of Speed. It’ll be the first time we get to see just how capable the i8 is, and even with a paltry 1.5 litre 3-cylinder engine it promises impressive performance as that little 3-pot churns out 228bhp oin its own and 356bhp when its electric motor joins in.

The safest cars of 2014 revealed by Euro NCAP

Safety in modern cars continues to move on at a relentless pace, and in 2013 the story was no different. We saw the first Chinese car ever to get a full five-star Euro NCAP rating with the Qoros 3, signalling Chinese manufacturers are really starting to think about the needs of other markets around the world – in fact, just to prove that point, Euro NCAP voted the Qoros 3 the safest car of 2013. What a result.