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

Infiniti planning new global flagship model

Infiniti is planning a flagship, sporty four-door coupe in the mold of the Porsche Panamera as the joint flagship of its expanding range. The sweeping-looking four-door will take its styling inspiration from the Infiniti Essence concept penned by design chief Shiro Nakamura and first shown at the Geneva motor show in 2009. The new car is part of Infiniti's ambitious plan to become a serious global luxury brand by carving out 10 percent of that market, equivalent to about 500K sales by 2020 and backed up by a significantly expanded model range and huge investment from parent Nissan.

New Mercedes SL 400 replaces SL 350

The new Mercedes SL 400 (pictured) replaces the old SL 350 It’s a little over two years since the latest Mercedes SL arrived, and Mercedes has now decided to add a little zest to sales by dropping the old SL 350 and replacing it with a new Mercedes SL 400. The new SL 400 gets its power from the new E400 which means a twin-turbo 3.0 litre V6 with 328bhp and 354 lb/ft of torque – 26bhp and 81 lb/ft more than the old SL 350 – enough to let the SL 400 scoot to 62 mph in 5.2 seconds – 0.7s better than the 350 -= and on to a limited top speed of 155 mph. The new SL 400 has to make do with Mercedes tried and tested 7-speed auto – despite a new 9-speed now being available in Mercedes’ arsenal – which gives the SL 400 official economy of 38.6 mpg and emissions of 172g/km – not that you’ll come close in the real world.

Lexus CT 200h Advance tops CT 200h range

Lexus has revealed a new range-topper for its smallest car – the Lexus CT 200h Advance – with extra equipment and small price premium. The new range-topping Lexus CT 200h Advance We’re not entirely convinced that Lexus has got their baby car quite right – we’d rather see it drop its rather harsh suspension setup and offer proper compact cosseting - but there’s a ready market from buyers wanting a touch of Japanese luxury in a more compact form. But it seems Lexus are at least heading in the direction they should with the CT 200h by launching a new range-topping model - the Lexus CT 200h Advance – with more toys as standard to appeal to the downsizer who wants their luxury setup ready-made.