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

Ford Cortina: 50 years ago today…

Ford are celebrating 50 years since the first Ford Cortina was launched and changed the car landscape forever. The Ford Cortina went on to sell an impressive 4.3 million during its twenty year life, eventually turning in to the Ford Sierra and then in to the Ford family car of today – the 2013 Ford Mondeo (which, interestingly, can be had with the 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine – smaller even than the 1200cc of that first Cortina). That first Cortina was the start of Ford’s dominance of the UK car market, leading to an unbroken run of 35 years as the best selling car brand with most of the Cortinas, almost 3 million of them, built at Dagenham – in the days Ford actually built cars here.

Porsche Panamera to debut at Shanghai

Porsche Panamera will debut in Shanghai in April It’s a sign of the growing importance of the Chinese market that Porsche has chosen to launch the car officially in China. Even the Chinese car market is suffering at the moment, but the simple fact is that with such a huge population, and a Chinese DNA that seems to predispose them to commerce now they are allowed to ‘Trade’ once again, there will probably be more potential Porsche buyers in China in the next 10 years than in the rest of the world combined. So suck-up now seems a good motto.

Nissan Murano Diesel – finally

The Nissan Murano is to get a diesel option from September The Nissan Murano is the Qashqai’s big brother, just as the soon to arrive Nissan Juke is the baby. But the Murano often tends to get overlooked because it seems like it doesn’t really belong in Europe. It feels – and looks – a bit like a Crossover designed for the US with its blingy looks and petrol only V6 (from the old 350Z).