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

New 2013 Nissan Note gets more appealing

The new Nissan Note has turned in to a Ford Fiesta basher as Nissan turn the Note from a boring little MPV in to a convincing small hatch. We did think the Invitation would be watered down to produce a slightly titivated new Note for production, but much of the style has found its way through in to the new Note – which we first saw in the JDM Nissan Note last summer – and the Note now looks set to take on proper compact hatches like the Ford Fiesta. The nose of the new Note is now more convincing – with new headlights and grill – and the doors get a great big feature crease that looks like a giant smoothing iron has stamped its mark, although Nissan say it’s a ‘Squash Line’  whose ‘angles were inspired by the flight of a fast moving squash ball travelling around a court’.

Hyundai ix35 facelift to cost from £16,995 – extended model range & specs

The ‘new’ Hyundai ix35 (pictured) costs from £16,995 Hyundai revealed the mildly facelifted ix35 back in March (and a better looking version for the Korean market a couple of months later) and now, with the new ix35 on sale next week, we have news of prices and specs. We covered the tweaks Hyundai have made to the ix35 back in March – and they’re really quite minor – but the trim levels are also changing and the more powerful 2.0 litre diesel is biting the dust. The ix35 range now kicks off with the ix35 S 1.6-litre GDi 2WD manual at £16,995 which comes with 16″ alloys, central locking, USB and AUX, AirCon, Hillstart Assist and Downhill Brake Control (designed to help those who can’t really drive).

Video: The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo concept build process

Porsche has released a video featuring Style Director Michael Mauer charting the design process of the Panamera Sport Turismo concept. The 10-minute YouTube video, which also features General Manager Advanced Design Style Mitja Rorkert, follows the build process through each modeling phase right up until the presentation of the show car at this year's Paris motor show. "It always presents a special challenge when we develop a new kind of car for the Porsche brand," says Mauer, "precisely because we haven't been in the segment before, and the question of whether it matches the Porsche brand always looms in the background." We were impressed at the Panamera Sport Turismo concept's unveiling, particularly with its stance and detail execution, so the video is a chance to see just how this concept came into being.