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

News watch March 2010: today's auto industry news

Tuesday 30 March 2010• Mercedes has dismissed claims that its Maybach brand is for sale, after reports in the Chinese media claimed Chinese car company BYD was considering a bid for the upmarket offshoot. BYD has also denied the claims (Reuters)• Toyota president Akio Toyoda has promised his company will listen more carefully to customers and react faster in a bid to regain credibility after the Japanese car manufacturer was forced to recall millions of vehilces over safety fears (BBC)• The Obama administration is expected to unveil its finalised fuel economy and tailpipe emissions through to 2016 this week, to coincide with the opening of the 2010 New York auto show (Detroit News)  Monday 29 March 2010• Toyota has agreed to licence the hybrid technology in the Prius to Mazda, which will combine the electric system with its next-gen Sky engines. It’s part of Mazda’s plans to increase the average fuel economy of its vehicles by 30% by 2015 (compared to 2008 levels) and it hopes to have its first hybrid vehicle on sale in Japan by 2013 (Mazda)• Ford and Chinese car company Geely have signed a stock purchase agreement that will allow the latter to acquire 100% of Volvo (along with related assets including intellectual property rights).

New Mercedes C-Class AMG Line revealed

New Mercedes C-Class AMG Line revealed The 2014 Mercedes C-Class was revealed just last week – and is heading to the Detroit Auto Show next month for its public debut – and it will be joined by this, the 2014 Mercedes C-Class AMG Line. Mercedes AMG Line models are the easy way to make your new diesel-engined C-Class look much more like the C 63 AMG than its prosaic engine would suggest to the casual observer and will be a popular option for those getting a bog-standard C-Class – with its low BIK rates – on the company. The photos of the new C-Class AMG Line come from Mercedes-Benz Passion Blog and show that the AMG Line C-Class gets exactly what you’d expect with a butch front bumper, side skirts, rear diffuser, sports suspension, 18″ AMG alloys, AMG grill and chrome trim.

Land Rover Defender by Vilner: The Landie gets a touch of posh

The Land Rover Defender by Vilner Anyone who has ever driven a Land Rover Defender will know that home comforts are not exactly at the top of LR’s list of priorities; spartan necessity probably best describes the interior fittings. But not after Bulgarian tuner Vilner has been to play it doesn’t. Vilner has had a commission from a Russian with a few bob burning a hole in his pocket who wanted a Land Rover Defender that was more than just a utilitarian workhorse.