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

Ultimate MINI John Cooper Works goes up for auction

British Car Auctions (BCA) is offering one very specially specified MINI Cooper S John Cooper Works. The car is set to go under the hammer on Wednesday 15 August at BCA's Blackbushe auction centre. This MINI actually boasts nearly every factory option originally available for the car and cost over £30,000 when it was built back in 2011 – from customised exterior and interior parts, engine and chassis upgrades and in-car gadgets, this MINI is full to bursting with options. And it could be yours… Please click on the image above to read more on the mega specification MINI John Cooper Works

Tomorrow's world: the touchscreen steering wheel

You might think the steering wheel has done a pretty good job of directing cars for the past century. But now a team of researchers from the University of Stuttgart is attempting to reinvent the wheel. The scientists have come up with a touchscreen steering wheel, which they reckon could replace the humble wheel with stereo and cruise controls.

Americans plan to keep their cars longer, AutoPacific study finds

In another chilling sign that auto sales are likely to remain stalled, a new study finds that Americans intend to keep their cars longer, indicating a general concern about the industry and the overall economy. The number of new-car buyers planning to keep their rides more than four years has risen to 59 percent, according to a study released Tuesday by California marketing research firm AutoPacific. That's an increase from last year, when about 45 percent of new buyers intended to wait more than four years for their next purchase, and it's up from 2005's tally of 46 percent.