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

Audi A1 prices start at £13,145 in UK

Audi’s new A1 supermini has gone on UK sale today, priced from £13,145 for a 1.2 TFSI SE trim model to £18,280 for a range-topping 1.4 TFSI auto. That pitches the A1 slightly above the Mini, whose boggo First three-door kicks off at £12,620. But study the two rival supermini ranges from Audi and  BMW more closely and you’ll see they’re quite evenly matched.

Geneva 2014 debut for Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme concept

Vauxhall will unveil its fastest Astra model ever at this year’s 2014 Geneva Motor Show when it pulls the covers off its Astra VXR Extreme concept car. According to the British firm, the Extreme will be even more powerful than the standard Astra VXR, boasting lightweight components that make the race track “the car’s natural environment.” On Bing: see pictures of the Vauxhall Astra VXR Find out how much a used Vauxhall Astra VXR costs on Auto Trader The first image of the vehicle shows a low, aggressive looking car featuring revised aerodynamics – including that massive rear wing – and a new dual-twin tailpipe setup. These changes over the standard VXR won’t be the most significant, however.

Boris planning war on diesel car drivers – London Mayor wants drivers of diesel cars to pay more

Boris wants to charge diesel cars an extra £10 to enter London We’ve long banged on about the nonsense of basing the cost of motoring on the Co2 emissions of cars, and it seems the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, also realises that Co2-based taxation has led to a real pollution problem. As we reported as far back as 2010, petrol cars – certainly before the introduction of Euro 6 emissions recently – are far cleaner than diesel cars when it comes to the sort of stuff that really matters – NoX and particulates. And the problem has been exacerbated by basing car taxation on Co2 emissions as lower Co2 levels have been much easier for car makers to achieve on diesel engines, which is why diesel-engined cars now account for around 50 per cent of all cars sold in the UK.