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

Seat celebrates 60 years of production

SPANISH car maker Seat has this week celebrated its 60th anniversary, releasing pictures dating back to its very first model, the 1400. Six decades have now passed since the first 1400 rolled off the production line, when the brand new company was inundated with 10,000 orders following the end of petrol rationing in Spain. With so much production demand Seat was able to drop the initial price of 121,875 to a more reasonable 117,000 pesetas, or what would have been about £590 at the time.

Mercedes AMG GT gets new 503 bhp Twin-Turbo 4.0 litre V8 (video)

The new Mercedes AMG GT (pictured) gets the new 503 bhp Twin-Turbo 4.0 litre V8 We’ve speculated that the new Mercedes AMG GT – and, for that matter, futures ’63′ AMGs – will get a new twin-turbo V8 to provide the power as Mercedes look to move away from the naturally aspirated 6.2 litre V8 in cars like the SLS. And this is it. A new 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 – the M178 engine – has been developed to replace the 6.2 litre V8 and, in initial tune, develops 503 bhp at 6250 rpm and 479lb/ft of torque from just 1750 rpm.

Are new car sales figures a fantasy?

A recent report from Germany claimed up to 30 per cent of new car sales were a fiction. Could the same be true in the UK? Despite the recession – and the lack of finance deals for a huge number of potential customers – new car sales in the UK seem to be rising inexorably.