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

2011 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 gets power boost from the Raptor SVT

Ford is Raptorizing one of its top-flight F-150s for 2011, adding more power underhood to go with the loads of looks and leather that are the hallmarks of the Harley-Davidson edition. The 2011 model is fitted with the 6.2-liter V8--first offered in the Raptor SVT--that makes 411 hp and 434 lb-ft of torque while towing up to 9,300 pounds. That's a monster upgrade from the previous edition, which displaced 5.4 liters and made 320 hp and 390 lb-ft.

AA warns of automated penalties

DRIVERS are still suffering a year on from the time most wheelclampers were banned from operating in private car parks, according to the AA. Twelve months on, parking enforcement firms are reaping large sums from issuing automated "penalty" tickets. The AA said that while Communities Minister Eric Pickles is reining in local authorities who over-zealously use CCTV, private parking operators now rely heavily on this technology and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) to watch drivers and issue tickets through the post when they put a foot wrong in parking areas.

Mercedes-Benz introduces nine-speed automatic gearbox

Mercedes-Benz has quietly slipped a new nine-speed automatic into its lineup as standard equipment on the European market E350 BlueTec. The new in-house produced unit, known internally under the name 9G-Tronic, has long been slated for selected Mercedes-Benz models. However, its existence was officially denied until the weekend, when Mercedes-Benz's German language website configurator went live with various updates for the E-class lineup -- including an entry signaling the 9G-Tronic is now available on the standard rear-wheel drive E350 BlueTec in place of the older seven-speed.