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

Renault Eolab Concept

Renault has bucked the trend of rather uninspiring Paris Motor Show previews with the Eolab. This B-segment-sized car that has been designed to a brief that states it must return fuel economy of 2l/100km (118mpg US/141mpg UK), and that all of its major technical innovations must be production-feasible by the year 2020. The Eolab is actually two cars – the Eolab prototype, which the engineering team has signed off as capable of 1l/100km (235mpg US/282mpg UK), and the Eolab Concept, which was overseen by the design team.

Subaru XV gets a price cut – down by £1300 on 1.6 litre versions

It wasn’t a bad starting point for an able mid-sized crossover – a high-riding Impreza, in all but name –  but it wasn’t the cheapest offering in the class. But now, with the Yen being a bit kinder to Japanese car makers, Subaru has decided to nudge the price a bit lower to start the XV range off below £20k for the first time. The price drop for the XV only applies to the 1.6 litre petrol versions, but you can now get the entry-level XV 1.6i S for a more affordable £19,995 rising to £23,415 for the XV 1.6i SE with the Lineartronic gearbox, reductions across the range of £1300.

Hennessey Cadillac Escalade gets 557 hp

The 2015 Cadillac Escalade is about as American as an SUV can be. We didn't find the 420-hp, 6.2-liter V8 lacking in any way, but if you want something with a little more grunt, Hennessey Performance Engineering and its HPE550 upgrade should help. Hennessey says the HPE550 Escalade package bumps output to 557 hp and 542 lb-ft of torque with the help of a belt-driven supercharger producing 6 psi.