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

Honda CR-V 1.6i-DTEC does 77.86 mpg in the ‘Real World’

The Honda CR-V 1.6i-DTEC (pictured) does 77.86 mpg in the ‘Real World’ Official car economy figures are pretty useless at being anything other than a guide to the relative economy of cars on sale. But Honda are trying to prove that’s not true. They’ve taken their new CR-V 1.6i-DTEC – which has official economy of 62.8 mpg – out on a mission to prove it can do even more miles to the gallon in the real world than in official tests.

AA Survey says 40% of UK roads are in a ‘Terrible’ state

40% of our roads are in a ‘Terrible’ state We all moan about how bad the UK’s roads are after several years of extreme weather and even more years of underinvestment in road repairs. Now the AA has revealed that a survey of 29,911 of their members reveals that 40 per cent of local roads are considered to be in a ‘Terrible’ state, 34 per cent of main roads the same and just 11 per cent of local roads considered ‘Excellent’. None of which will come as a surprise to Cars UK readers; we get endless emails on the subject from disgruntled readers bemoaning the dangerous state of our roads and asking what can be done.

LA Auto Show Design Challenge entries unveiled

The 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge entries have been revealed a few days before the show is set to open. As in previous years, several of the major players in the automotive design world are participating and automakers and design studios such as BMW DesignworksUSA, Subaru, Mazda, and China's SAIC and Changfeng will be exhibiting concept art. The theme of this year's design challenge is called "Biomimicry & Mobility 2025: Nature's Answer to Human Challenges.” With nature coming to be seen as one of the best R&D labs for design, and with biological knowledge doubling every five years, design studios were challenged to design vehicles that use biomimicry to increase the efficiency of mobility itself.