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

Opel Ampera: the full, official technical story

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 25 March 2009 10:05 Opel/Vauxhall predict that the new Ampera production car will sell more in Britain than anywhere else in Europe. The extended range electric vehicle, unveiled at the recent 2009 Geneva motor show, will go on sale here in late 2011 and marketing bosses say the UK is more accepting of hybrids and alternative vehicles than other markets. It’s not clear at this stage how much the Ampera will cost in the UK, but we’re looking at a likely cost around £20,000.

Volkswagen Beetle Dune Concept heading for Detroit

Volkswagen Beetle Dune Concept (pictured) heading for Detroit The original VW Beetle was a perfect candidate for a Dune Buggy, and many old VWs were converted to blast across sand dunes around the world. VW had a bash at their own Dune Buggy back in 2000, but now, ahead of a reveal at the Detroit Auto Show next week, we have what looks like a buggy from VW that could actually be heading for production – the Volkswagen Beetle Dune Concept. VW has revealed a single image of their Beetle Dune Concept (above) that shows a jacked-up Beetle with big wheels and tyres, a ski rack on the back and a bit of cosmetic titivation.

Kubrick's Jaguar memories: XJ12s and more

Once upon a time there was a small boy, about seven years old, who had taken an interest in cars at a rather early stage, mainly thanks to his old man, who was (and, thankfully, still is) a car enthusiast and, back in those days, a staunch supporter of a certain Southern German marque. This naturally meant that the small boy would sometimes be a bit annoyed by his father's occasionally overbearing passion, but at the same time usually knit his eyebrows himself whenever he came across something sporting four wheels but no blue & white propeller (which, he believed, was the way things were supposed to be). So the foundations had been laid to turn this very young chap into a proper petrolhead one day, but his interest remained relatively casual and moderate until that one fateful evening.