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

Jaguar XJ Review (2012): 3.0 litre Diesel Portfolio LWB

We’ve had the latest version of the Jaguar XJ in for review – the LWB 3.0 litre Diesel Portfolio with Sports Packs – to see how the XJ is maturing. It’s getting on for two years since we had the first Jaguar XJ in for review, and almost three years since we first saw the new XJ at the Saatchi Gallery in London, almost a year before Jaguar managed to get their new range-topper in to showrooms. In between we had a long-term XJ in for review which was with us for four months and proved to be far more reliable than the early car we had in – which did have problems – and a car we covered most the UK in with almost nothing in the way of hiccups.

Kubrick's Jaguar memories: XJ12s and more

Once upon a time there was a small boy, about seven years old, who had taken an interest in cars at a rather early stage, mainly thanks to his old man, who was (and, thankfully, still is) a car enthusiast and, back in those days, a staunch supporter of a certain Southern German marque. This naturally meant that the small boy would sometimes be a bit annoyed by his father's occasionally overbearing passion, but at the same time usually knit his eyebrows himself whenever he came across something sporting four wheels but no blue & white propeller (which, he believed, was the way things were supposed to be). So the foundations had been laid to turn this very young chap into a proper petrolhead one day, but his interest remained relatively casual and moderate until that one fateful evening.

Consumer Reports slams new Honda Civic

Honda Motor Co., still struggling with supply shortages of the redesigned 2012 Civic after the March earthquake in Japan, took a slap in the face today when Consumer Reports rated the new Civic "too low to be recommended." The 2012 Honda Civic dropped 17 points, from a very-good score of 78 to a mediocre 61, in the latest Consumer Reports road test of small cars. Previous Honda Civic models have often been Consumer Reports' highest rated small sedans, as well as Top Picks in five of the past 10 years. But the redesigned model was slammed for the cheapness of its interior, poor ride quality, long stopping distances and loud interior noise.