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

Better Place Electric Car visitor centre opens

Better Place have opened a visitor centre in Israel to demonstrate their battery swap technology for electric cars Last October we wrote about a start-up company in Israel – Better Place – that had a new way forward for electric cars by taking the purchase of battery packs out of the equation, and was developing a system for ‘Battery Swap’ stations where electric car owners could drive in and swap their battery pack for a fully-charged one in a few minutes. That story first brought to our attention our favourite quote of last year – by Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn – who said “A hybrid is like a mermaid: if you want a fish, you get a woman; if you want a woman, you get a fish.” Which probably explained why Nissan – and its partner Renault – got involved with Better Place. Better Place aims to address the main concerns of electric car drivers by making the battery packs in electric cars ‘swappable’.

Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia (2008): first photos

By Nick Eaton First Official Pictures 09 September 2008 12:00 This is the new Cayenne S Transsyberia, a road-going version of Porsche’s racing Cayenne that has won the Transsyberia Rally three years running. Porsche has dominated the rally - which runs 4,460 miles across Asia between Moscow and Ulan Bator – in recent years with its Cayenne finishing in first to third in 2007, and first to sixth in 2008. Yes. To celebrate its success Porsche will unveil a street-legal version of the car at the Paris motor show next month.

New VW Golf Estate costs from £17,915

The New VW Golf Estate (pictured) costs from £17,915 in the UK The MK 7 VW Golf Estate arrived at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and tomorrow it goes on sale in the UK. The Golf Estate follows pretty much the same specification form as the Golf hatch, with all Estates (the entry level model is the Golf Estate S) getting Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, DAB with 5.8″ touchscreen, XDS E-Diff, and VW’s automatic post-collision braking system. Move up to the Golf Estate SE and you can add stuff like 16″ alloys, auto lights and wipers, driver alert, pre-crash, ADC with Front Assist and City Braking, driver profile selection and a set of reading lights in the back.