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

New car ‘sales’ up over 10% in 2014

Sales of AFVs – like the Auris Hybrid – have grown over 50% The story of new car sales in the UK continues on its seemingly ever-upward path, with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reporting new car registrations in the UK up by over 10 per cent in the first half of 2014. A total of 1,287,265 new cars have been registered in the UK so far this year (although previous evidence would suggest a good 400,000 of those are dealer pre-reg cars), the highest figure since 2005. And as Alternatively Fuelled Vehicles (AFVs – those powered by anything other than a single fossil fuel source e.g.

2013 Nissan LEAF updated

Nissan has updated the LEAF EV in Japan for 2013 with better range, less weight and a new LEAF S entry-level model. Revealed in Japan – but likely to come to the UK from 2013 when the LEAF starts rolling out of Nissan’s Sunderland factory – there are significant upgrades to the powertrain which result in both less weight and better range. Nissan has had a play with the electric powertrain and made it both smaller and lighter with a new motor that uses 40 per cent less dysprosium (a rare earth metal) than before, and comes in 30 per cent smaller and 10 per cent lighter, and a new streamline battery case and a few other tweaks drops the LEAF’s weight by 80kg.

MG6 BTCC Edition celebrates MG going racing

MG has revealed a special edition of the MG6 – the MG6 BTCC Edition – to celebrate a return to BTCC racing. MG doesn’t exactly have a plethora of models to offer car buyers, but its’ making the most of its inherited heritage by taking the MG6 in to the British Touring Car Championship, and to celebrate it’s launched a new model to cast a sporty glow back on the marque. The MG6 BTCc Edition gets a 1.8 litre turbo petrol offering 158bhp, not enough to win a BTCC race but enough to get the road car to 62mph in 8.4 seconds and on to a slightly asthmatic 120mph.