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

New Mercedes B Class to spawn 7 Seat version

It looks like Mercedes are going to stretch the appeal of the new B Class by adding a new 7 seat option. Mercedes foray in to small hatchbacks has not exactly been an unmitigated success. The last generation A and B class were really just two sizes of the same car, neither of which had much driver appeal and were bought as runarounds by Mercedes buyers who wanted a car for ‘er indoors.

New Range Rover Sport crosses ‘Empty Quarter’ Desert in record time

The new Range Rover Sport crosses the ‘Empty Quarter’ Desert in record time We all know that almost every Range Rover Sport sold will never do anything more rugged than crossing a boot sale car park. But that doesn’t stop Land Rover hanging the Sport’s reputation on its ability to go anywhere, and do it more quickly. To demonstrate that combination of off-road prowess and speed they recently put the new Range Rover Sport up Pikes Peak in a record time (for an SUV) to demonstrate it could do rough stuff at speed, and now they’ve been out playing in the deserts of Saudi Arabia to ram the point home.

Is the V8 a dying breed? Auto engineers expect more turbos, smaller engines

The V8 engine, a symbol of power and prestige for more than a century, is looking more and more like an endangered species. A panel of powertrain experts speaking on Tuesday at the 2009 SAE World Congress painted a bleak picture for big engines in this era of tightening emission standards and volatile fuel prices. But smaller engines will not mean drivers have to give up performance.