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

Lexus NX compact SUV production starts – first UK deliveries October 2014

The first Lexus NX rolls off the production line We’re not entirely sure the new Lexus NX – revealed in production guise at the Beijing Motor Show in April - will be one of the most driver-focused compact SUVs, but it is a car that should see Lexus sales rise considerably. And the NX is now starting to roll off the production line at Lexus’s Miyata plant in Japan, and Lexus say they already have 6,500 orders for the NX in Japan, and a more modest 350 in the UK. The big seller in the UK – in the absence of a diesel NX – will be the NX 300h with its hybrid setup of a 2.5 litre petrol engine, electric motor and CVT gearbox, but despite promises of good economy (55.4mpg) the real world economy is likely to be significantly less, although its high headline economy will help BIK rates for business buyers.

Toyota GT 86 (2012) first official pictures

Toyota has a long history of long gestations for its sports cars (remember the Lexus LFA's birth?). But today we can finally bring you the first pictures of the new Toyota GT 86 sports car, ne FT-86 concept car from back in 2009. We'll see the GT 86 at the Tokyo auto show in the next week, with UK sales due in spring 2012.

The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg rolls out with a new hybrid powertrain

Volkswagen is banking on the fuel-saving properties of a new gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain and what it describes as a wholesale improvement in quality levels to bolster North American sales of its second-generation Touareg. This new Touareg represents VW's first foray into the premium-hybrid-SUV market, which includes gasoline-electric entries from BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac, among others. Further competition will come from a similarly powered version of the new Porsche Cayenne, alongside which the new Touareg was developed.