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

2013 VW Beetle Convertible: Price from £18,150

After a reveal in October, the New Volkswagen Beetle Convertible has debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show and will cost from £18,150 in the UK. In fact, not only does the Beetle refuse to go away, it’s selling better than the ‘old’ Beetle ever did, with 230,000 Beetles built since the Beetle was revived eight years ago, only 100,000 fewer than the old Beetle sold in its 31 year history. And the new VW Beetle promises to be more appealing than the first iterations of VW’s revival of the Beetle, with their strapline for the latest model setting out its intentions clearly: ‘Less Flower – More Power’.

Toyota Corolla (2014)

The 2014 Toyota Corolla is the company's eleventh generation of the world's best-selling model, with almost 40 million sold since the first appeared in 1966. In line with the attempt to inject some interest into Toyota's model range (witness the new Avalon for example), this new Corolla is based around the mantra ‘Iconic Dynamism', whatever that might mean. The result is a car that certainly appears more interesting than its forebears on the evidence of these pictures.

Highway Code braking distances questioned

THE ACCURACY of facts and figures in the Highway Code has been called into question after research by the RAC showed that many drivers underestimate official stopping distances. As part of the organisation's Report on Motoring 2014, drivers were asked to identify the Highway Code's stated stopping distances from different speeds, but the majority “seriously underestimated” the figures. However, a separate survey by Right Driver of 1,000 Advanced Driving Instructors (ADIs) revealed that the vast majority strongly believe that the official braking distances have become irrelevant and should be updated.