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

New Vauxhall Astra Roadster preview

Rendering of the Vauxhall Astra Roadster With the new Vauxhall Astra starting to be pushed by Vauxhall ahead of its official launch at Frankfurt in September, thoughts are now turning to what derivatives of the new Astra are to come. Vauxhall are already committed to the three door hatchback and the estate as the follow up after the launch, but an obvious contender is an open-topped Astra. And if these renderings are to be believed it will be a bit of a show-stopper.

Alfa Romeo MiTo

This is Alfa Romeo's latest compact car, the MiTo. The new car draws its name from the abbreviations of two Italian cities: Milan, the city that brought the car's style into being, and Turin, which will be responsible for its industrial production. The first new Alfa Romeo to be built since the 8C Competizione, the MiTo borrows many characteristic element from its larger 'halo' sibling: the shape of the frameless side windows, the distinctive frontal treatment, the shape of the headlights and the LED tail lights.

CAFE standards set to rise to 54.5 mpg for 2025

President Barack Obama on Friday revealed ambitious plans to raise the corporate average fuel economy standard for cars and light trucks to 54.5 mpg by the 2025 model year, a landmark move that will dramatically remake carmakers' product portfolios and consumers' buying habits. Unlike the first CAFE standards passed by Congress in 1975, the Detroit automakers now publicly support the high requirements and have begun retooling their fleets to adapt the changes. “[This] represents the single most important step we've ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” Obama said in a morning press conference.