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

Toyota Verso is the first Toyota to get a BMW engine

The Toyota Verso (pictured) gets the option of a 1.6 litre BMW diesel engine from 2014 Two years ago we reported that BMW would be supplying Toyota with diesel engines in Europe from 2014, And bang on time (as you’d expect from the Germans and Japanese) the first Toyota with a BMW engine has been revealed. The Toyota Verso 1.6 D-4D goes in to production in January at Toyota’s plant in Turkey complete with a 1.6 litre diesel engine from BMW that comes with 111bhp and 199lb/ft of torque. It’s not the sort of BMW diesel that’s going to see the Verso turn in to a hot MPV, but it does give the Verso emissions of 119g/km and allow Toyota to offer an engine that appeals to frugal minded, diesel-centric European buyers.

Peugeot Ramps Up Production For New 308

FRENCH car maker Peugeot is to crank up production of its new 308 model as demand has rocketed for the recently crowned 2014 European Car of the Year. Built at Peugeot’s Sochaux plant in France, the firm has announced it’s to add a night shift from June, with the result that 600 jobs are being created and output will increase to a total of 1,563 cars per day. The firm has said it has already taken over 60,000 orders, while the decision to up production coincides with the launch this summer of an estate version, the 308 SW.

70% of premium brand cars stolen are taken with the car’s own keys

High-end SUVs – like the new Range Rover (pictured) are a prime target for car key thieves There was once a time when all it took to steal a car was a wire coathanger and the ability to hotwire the ignition. But as car makers have got better at securing the second most expensive asset most of us will ever own, car thieves have had to look for a different approach, and that approach is increasingly to relieve owners of the keys to their pride and joy. Cobra – the vehicle tracking firm – are reporting that a massive 70 per cent of all premium brand cars stolen in 2014 – with an average value of £40k, up £6k on 2012 – are being parted from their owners using that owners keys.