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

Vauxhall Ampera price cut by £3,500

The Vauxhall Ampera (pictured) drops in price by £3500 Although we still feel the range-extender is the right way for car makers to go to get the car buying public to accept EVs, the range-extender Vauxhall Ampera has not exactly been a runaway success. Despite Vauxhall offering potential Ampera buyers the option of trying it for 30 days and handing it back if they don’t like it, the Ampera has failed miserably to sell in any sort of volume. So, with new competition on the way from the range-extender BMW i3, Vauxhall are taking drastic action to try and tempt buyers in to the Ampera and are slashing prices by £3,500.

Land Rover DC100 concept (2011) - it's the new Defender

The new Land Rover DC100 concept car, ready for a 2011 Frankfurt motor show arrival - points to the company's planned replacement for the Defender 4x4. Land Rover has now confirmed officially that it'll launch a successor to the Defender in 2015, and the DC100 provides plenty of clues to what we could expect. So the Land Rover DC100 is the new Defender?

Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid unveiled

Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid Volkswagen has revealed the VW Jetta Hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show, with a 1.4 litre turbo and electric motor promising 54mpg  and 168bhp. VW has revealed the Jetta Hybrid at the Detroit Motor Show which will, if nothing else, show the Americans that a small capacity – in thyis case a 1.4 litre TSI engine – can offer not just decent economy but also some reasonable performance. With the aid of a 20kW electric motor the Jetta Hybrid can muster 168bhp and scoot ro 60mph in around 9 seconds, but still offer 54mpg.