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

Bonhams' Greenwich auction will show Italian rarities

The biggest star of Bonhams' seventh annual Greenwich auction will be the 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopica shown above, a pristine early example of the legendary wedge with a single owner and less than 10,500 miles -- its roof carried a groove cut into the sheetmetal that allowed light to hit the rearview mirror, providing a still-laughable semblance of rearward visibility. Of course, the door is always preferable. Just 158 LP400 Countachs were ever produced, before the firm moved on in 1978 to the outrageously styled LP400S.

Videos: Volkswagen's exterior and interior designers highlight the Up's design elements

We've enjoyed the design of Volkswagen's new Up since we first saw the vehicle in concept form at the 2007 Frankfurt motor show. Devoid of any extraneous detailing, the simple, product design aesthetic is pared back to represent the crux of VW's design philosophy: pure, simple and solid.  The result is a harmonious design that stands out from the pack, with simple surfacing and subtle detailing; the Up's design is pure and minimalistic, which serves to exude quality in the product. Inside, the vehicle is brimming with space-saving design details.  From an IP devoid of central air vents to a thin headrest that visually extends the height of the interior, the Up is a success story in space efficiency, but it is also finished to a high level using quality materials.

SEAT IBZ Concept – Frankfurt catchup

SEAT IBX Concept - next year's SEAT Ibiza Sport Tourer SEAT does love a concept – especially a nice Blue one with a cream coloured interior – and they didn’t disappoint at Frankfurt. Take the badges and a bit of the detail off the IBZ and you could easily have been looking at an Alfa. And when it looks this good how did we miss it?