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

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S: The Video

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S on track at the Ascari Circuit in Spain We’re always up for a bit of Aston Martin goodness, so we were more than happy to report in January that Aston Martin has added a bit of extra oomph to the V8 to create the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S. To be honest, there’s not a huge amount of extra power on the Vantage V8 S – just 10bhp – but there are a chunk of tweaks that make it very appealing, including a new seven speed Sportshift ‘box, sharper steering, better braking and a bit of suspension tweaking to make the V8S that bit more aggressive. All this new V8 S goodness was served up at the Geneva Motor Show last week, but we got a bit sidetracked with the new Aston Martin Virage – or DB9 Ghia – in a marmite shade of orange hogging AM’s Geneva stand.

Lexus GS 300h: Shanghai Motor Show

Offering much better economy than the GS 450h, it offers not only a viable alternative for private buyers looking for a bit of beautifully built Japanese luxury with lower running costs, but also makes the GS a much more appealing option for company car drivers – probably where most of the sales will be made. Lexus are aiming for Co2 emissions below 110g/km for the GS 300h (the IS 300h manages 99g/km) which will give headline economy around 60mpg – a third better than the GS 450h can manage. Power comes from the same hybrid drivetrain as the IS 300h, which means a 2.5 litre petrol mated to an electric motor and delivering 215bhp and o-62mph in around 8.5 seconds.

Land Rover reveals rejigged Discovery at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

Land Rover has revealed a surprisingly comprehensive facelift for the Discovery range here at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show – and the firm has underlined the changes with some new badging for the Discovery range. Instead of having ‘LAND ROVER’ on the bonnet, the new Discovery has, well, ‘DISCOVERY’ lettering. That’s because Land Rover wants to make Discovery into its own brand, a bit like Range Rover: here at Frankfurt 2013, we’re seeing the first steps in this rebranding.