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

Modified Mercedes turned to gold

GERMAN tuning firms are known for occasionally crossing the barriers of taste, but this latest offering from Carlsson appears to have gone into new territory. Called the CS50 Versailles – after the Palace of Versailles that King Louis XIV turned into a opulent chateau – it’s based on the latest generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which is hardly a car short on luxury. But that hasn’t stopped Carlsson turning it into an automotive homage to gold.

Electric Rolls Royce Phantom EV 102EX at Geneva

The Rolls Royce EV 102EX - Geneva Debut Eighteen months ago we ran a story headlined ‘Electric Rolls Royce Phantom Coming?’ after the man from Goodwood let slip at the Goodwood Revival that Rolls Royce were looking at the viability of an electric Rolls Royce. Our first reaction was to throw our hands up in horror and declare it sacrilege, until we decided to ignore our preconceptions and prejudices and look at the benefits an electric motor could bring to a Rolls Royce. Benefits like absolute silence – long a Rolls Royce claim, rarely a Rolls Royce reality – and huge waves of torque that arrive let a Tsunami that never ends.

Tokyo Auto Salon pits performance autos against hybrids

The world's other big January auto show, the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, opened its doors to tuner enthusiasts in mid-month with a record 402 exhibitors. The Auto Salon fuses numerous styles, but the overriding theme this year was hybrid cars, with customized Toyota Priuses and Honda Insights at every turn. Good old-fashioned engine tuning is alive and well in Japan, where even new sports cars are being heavily modified, with cars such as the KRL Mitsubishi Evolution X and the HKS Nissan GT-R both boasting in excess of 600 hp.