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

Mini Beachcomber Concept at Detroit motor show 2010

This funky beach-biased concept car has just appeared at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show in January. Called the Mini Beachcomber Concept, this flight-of-fancy Moke-inspired show car gives us our first glimpse of how Mini's production-spec 4x4 crossover will look at launch - we'll see the real car at the Geneva motor show in March 2010 ahead of an autumn UK launch. This four-seater, four-wheel-drive machine has been designed without doors or a conventional roof, so that its occupants are not cut off from the outside world.

Ford to roll out Stop-Start in a big way

Ford are rolling out Stop Start in North America Stop-Start is a relatively simple way for car makers to grab more miles out of every gallon of fuel a car uses by simply turning off the engine when it’s not being used. And it’s a technology that is rapidly spreading from the hybrid sector in to more mainstream cars. And high end stuff too, with Porsche rolling it out on the Cayenne and Panamera.

Jaguar XF Estate on the way

Jaguar XF Estate - Expected to show as a Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September Jaguar doesn’t have the best history on estate cars (the X-Type Estate, although a reasonable car – and 4WD – was just a Mondeo with smart clothes) but the Jaguar XF is such a triumph for Jaguar that I’m sure we’ll see the XF Estate taking the fight to the Germans in a big way. It’s reasonable to expect the standard engines and trim versions to carry over to the Estate, but apparently so will the mighty XFR trim. Which means we will see a Jaguar Estate car which will be able to take on the likes of the M5 Estate, the E63 AMG Estate and the RS6 Estate.