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

BMW i3 EV revealed. It’s clever, but it’s not exactly pretty

The BMW i3 electric city car (pictured) has been officially revealed The BMW i3 – the first of BMW’s production ‘i’ electric cars – has finally been revealed at events in London, New York and Beijing as BMW plots its course to bring a premium electric city car to the world. Looking much like the original Mega City Concept, the i3 debuts a number of innovations from BMW – which are very clever – but it also debuts perhaps the worst looking BMW we’ve ever seen, with its incongruous lines, bulging bonnet, odd shapes on the flanks and slab-backed rear view. But what underpins the i3 is clever indeed, with a lightweight inner body made from carbon fibre and carbon fibre reinforced body panels providing the skin, all conspiring to make the i3 light – 1195kg, despite 25 per cent or so of that being batteries – and very rigid.

Nissan Juke n-tec arrives in the UK: Price from £16,295

Nissan has revealed a new model in the Juke range – the Juke n-tec – with cosmetic tweaks and extra equipment  Cost from £16,295. It was a move that gave Nissan an edge as car makers woke up to the realisation that car buyers wanted something a bit higher riding and a bit more butch than a saloon car to ride around, leaving other car makers hustling to catch up with Nissan’s Crossover jump. And it was the success of the Qashqai that inspired Nissan to follow up with a little brother in the shape of the ‘I’m ugly but I’m funky’ Nissan Juke, which looks a bit like a four-wheeled bug prowling the urban landscape, but which is actually a good little car.

Volvo XC60 – Star of New Moon

The Volvo XC60 stars in 'New Moon' Product placement can work with cars in big films. Just look at what the original James Bond films did for Aston Martin, from the DB5 in Goldfinger to the DBS in Casino Royale. Then there’s the Mustang in Bullet, the VW Beetle in the Herbie films, and let’s not forget the Mini in the Italian Job.