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

Mini Clubman concept (2014) first official pictures

By Damion Smy First Official Pictures 26 February 2014 09:00 This is the new Mini Clubman Concept and, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you – it has more doors than ever. The new four-door (well, six if you could the two-piece rear opening) is the first Mini to have two sets of cabin doors, and will offer the same range of three- and four-cylinder engines as the rest of the range. Just as the Fiat 500 range is expanding in terms of size, doors and oddity, the Mini family is growing too.  While officially it’s a concept, given the brand’s history of production ready showcars, you won’t have to squint too hard – or at all – for the road-going version.

Michael Mauer appointed head of design at Porsche

Porsche AG has anounced the appointment of Michael Mauer to take over as chief designer from Harm Lagaay, who will retire on July 1 after 15 years in the post. Michael Mauer, 41, studied automobile design at Pforzheim University, and started his career at Mercedes-Benz. In 1989, he was appointed design project leader for the Mercedes V Class models, and was in charge of design work for the first SLK model generation.

Bentley Hybrid setup works across Bentley’s range of engines

You’ll be able to have a hybrid powertrain across Bentley’s range of engines With car makers increasingly hidebound by ever more stringent economy targets, even makers of the world’s most expensive, luxury cars are having to play ball. Which explains why Bentley has decided to go the hybrid route for their cars, with the debut of the Bentley Hybrid, a Mulsanne with the 6¾ litre V8 under the bonnet aided by an electric motor and a bank of batteries, at the Beijing Motor Show. It seems the Bentley hybrid solution – which is claimed to increase power by 25 per cent and improve emissions and economy by 70 per cent – is very similar to that used across the VW Group range, with an electric motor between the engine and transmission fed by a bank of batteries.