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

New MINI 5-door Hatch revealed – but will you fit through the back doors?

The 5-door MINI hatch arrives We’ve already had the more BMW-like new MINI arrive, and now, for the first time, we get a MINI 5-door hatch to try and extend the appeal of the MINI range to families. The 5-door MINI gets an extra 72mm in the wheelbase and a pair of doors at the back – which do look very tight for full-size people to use – and there’s also an extra 15mm of headroom, a bigger boot and seating for three in the back. In terms of design, there’s little to choose between the 5-door and the 3-door, but the new 5-door does look a bit like the off-spring of the new MINI and the Countryman; just a little dumpy.

Win a copy of Just My Type book

In the new September 2011 issue of CAR Magazine, we've set typography expert and author Simon Garfield a task to critique modern car badges. The typeface used on the rump of your car - and the script on the dials, brochures and adverts - speaks volumes about your choice of wheels. So we asked Garfield, author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts, to lend an expert eye.

How celebrities stay safe in their cars with 007-style gadgets

You’re rich, famous and important enough to think you need a little more protection from your car than the standard anti-intruder alarm. What do you do? Buy a heavily armoured mobile fortress from US car modifiers ‘Texas Armoring Corporation’, of course.