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

Cash for clunkers: Is it ready for prime time in America?

One proposed solution to prop up new-car sales in the United States involves paying bonuses to owners of older vehicles who send their cars to the scrapyard and buy new ones. Proponents say that not only does the auto industry benefit, but so does the environment, as emissions decrease and fuel economy typically improves in newer models. Critics, however, say that scrapping older vehicles hurts collectors by reducing the number of older models available and also hurts those least able to afford to buy newer vehicles by driving up the price of used cars.

Ariel Atom 3.5 (2012) first official pictures

It's difficult for Ariel to come up with a mid-life refresh for its cars - there simply aren't that many bits to fiddle with in the first place. Still, the boys from Somerset must have succeeded, because what we have here is the freshly updated Ariel Atom 3.5. As the name suggests, it's a development of the Ariel Atom 3, with a crop of minor visual  tweaks and some mechanical changes too, keeping Caterham and BAC looking over their shoulders.

Subaru BRZ (2012) insurance groups announced

Subaru has announced the BRZ sports car will fall into insurance group 30, with higher-end SE Lux models in group 31. How does the Subaru BRZ's insurance compare to its rivals? Tricky question, since the BRZ, as a £25k, rear-drive 2+2 coupe, doesn't have much in the way of brand new, direct rivals (save for its Toyota GT86 sister of course).