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

Better Place EV Battery Swap business goes bust

It seemed like a good idea: take the cost of batteries out of the cost of buying an electric car and instead charge EV owners to use ‘Battery Swap’ stations where depleted batteries could be swapped for fully charged ones in the time it takes to fill an ICE car with petrol. But it’s all gone a bit Pete Tong. Better Place – which partnered with Renault in 2009 to make the battery swap technology viable – has failed to find anyone to add to the $750 million already involved in the project and has filed for bankruptcy.

Renault Laguna (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 04 June 2007 12:06 New Renault Laguna: the lowdown Renault's big-selling Laguna will be replaced in the autumn autumn with this distinctive new family car. Okay, so it's not the most radical car Renault has ever produced, but it does usher in some interesting developments from La Régie, as it chases down the new Ford Mondeo and forthcoming Vauxhall Vectra. For starters, the Laguna is the latest car to be lighter than the model it replaces; despite being longer, wider and taller, it's an average 15kg skinnier across the range, which should boost performance, economy and emissions.

Pininfarina reveals New Stratos

Pininfarina has revealed a one-off supercar called the New Stratos for German collector Michael Stoscheck. The car has a 4.3-liter V8 and is meant to channel the spirit of the legendary Lancia Stratos rally car of the 1970s. It was shown on Monday on the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet.