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

BMW reveals ferocious new M3 and M4

IF YOU’RE no fan of Top Gear-style wheel-spinning, tyre-smoking oversteer, then it’s probably best to look away now, because BMW has unveiled the new M3 and M4. Essentially the same car underneath, the main differences come in the number of doors and the suspension settings, with the M3 built as a four-door, slightly more forgiving saloon and the M4 as a harder-edged two-door coupe. But both will go very sideways, if that’s the sort of thing that revs your engine, thanks to a shared 425bhp six-cylinder engine that sends all that juicy power to the rear wheels.

Euro NCAP: iQ, Avensis, Impreza, C3 Picasso, Lancer, 6

By Alex Michaelides Motor Industry 19 February 2009 12:40 It’s a good day for the safety of new Japanese cars as the first round of 2009-style Euro NCAP safety ratings are released. Of the six cars tested, full five-star marks were dished out to the Toyota Avensis and Toyota iQ, as well as the Mitsubishi Lancer and Mazda 6. Meanwhile, the Citroen C3 Picasso and Subaru Impreza were awarded four stars.

Ford eyes dandelions as sustainable alternative to synthetic rubber

Ford, in conjunction with Ohio State University, is turning to the humble garden weed as sustainable resource, researching the dandelion's potential use as an alternative to synthetic rubber. While the automaker already makes considerable use of sustainable materials in its vehicles – such as soy foam seat cushions and straw-filled plastic for interior trim – this latest discovery opens up a wealth of new possibilities for automotive applications. According to research conducted by Ford, a milky-white substance that is found in certain dandelion roots can produce a sustainable rubber that could be used to create plastic parts for vehicle interiors.