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

MINI Countryman to be built in India

MINI sells worldwide – even in the US – and, despite claims it was a step too far for the brand, the MINI Countryman has been a big hit for MINI, offering as it does most of MINI’s charm but in a bigger, more family friendly package and with the option of All4 4WD for a degree of off-road ability (well, certainly the ability to treat boot sale car parks with disdain). Now, for the first time, BMW is to build the MINI outside Europe with a new MINi assembly facility coming on stream in Chennai, India, where BMW already makes 3 and 5 Series models as well as the X1 and X3. The plan is part of BMW’s plan of ‘Production follows the market’ where BMW aim to make their cars where they’re sold, so with the MINI brand showing strong growth in India since its launch it makes sense to build them there.

Philip Hammond: Winter Tyres are no good in the UK. Wrong.

Philip Hammond drops a clanger on Winter Tyres Throughout all of last year’s snow we lost count of the number of times we were asked if winter tyres were a good idea. You see, winter tyres are not something the Brits know much about. Ask most UK drivers what a winter tyre is and they have visions of something bordering on a James Bond special with spikes to get a grip.

German Grand Prix Qualifying (2014): Rosberg on pole for Mercedes – Hamilton crashes out

Rosberg takes pole in the 2014 German Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton managed to close the gap to Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg at the British Grand Prix two weeks ago after Rosberg’s car fell foul to mechanical failure, but it was Lewis’s turn to catch the Mercedes mechanical gremlins today as brake failure in qualifying saw him crash out. Hamilton suffered brake failure ten minutes after qualifying began and crashed heavily at speed in to the stadium section, going out of qualifying and causing a red flag for the session. Lewis was checked over after the heavy crash and is fine, but the pole position subsequently gathered in by team mate Rosberg won’t have been any consolation, Just fou7r points behind Rosberg in the driver’s championship battle after the British Grand Prix, Hamilton now faces a big uphill struggle to minimize Rosberg’s advantage in tomorrow’s race, but at least Hamilton’s first flying lap before the crash has sealed him 15th spot for the race.