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

FCA issues warning on logbook loans

VULNERABLE people who use their car as security to take out a loan are finding themselves squeezed even harder financially and even threatened, the City regulator has found. The Financial Conduct Authority warned it will put firms offering logbook loans out of action if they do not "dramatically" improve their standards, after finding evidence of poor behaviour including little or no affordability checks being carried out and some applicants being encouraged to manipulate details of their income. It said lenders are failing to properly spell out exactly how expensive such debts will be, with the true cost often masked by an emphasis on "low" weekly repayments and key terms and conditions buried in small print.

David Brown Automotive promising a new luxury British sports car

David Brown Automotive promising a new luxury British sports car The name David Brown Automotive conjures up images of the man whose initials still give us the Aston Martin DB9 – former tractor builder David Brown who bought up Aston Martin in 1947 (and subsequently Lagonda and Tickford). But this David Brown Automotive is actually a new company which promises to “…refresh the classic British sports car, for the 21st Century” with a vision for a new luxury take on the classic British Sports Car. David Brown has put together a team lead by Alan Mobberley – who was  Chief Designer at Land Rover until 2005 and cropped up recently as the designer for Eterniti Motors – and has commissioned Envisage Group (the firm that bought up what was left of CPP after Vladimir Antonov’s exploits and who are building the glorious Lyonheart E-Type) to bring his dreams to life.

Vauxhall VXR8 Tourer revealed: Price from £49,500

Vauxhall has revealed the Estate version of the VXR8 – the Vauxhall VXR8 Tourer – which offers oodles of room and 425bhp. That sort of power in an estate car certainly offers a different experience to regular load-luggers with 0-62mph coming up in a slightly silly 4.9 seconds. But, despite looking a bit past its prime even though it’s a new model, the VXR8 Tourer gets a reasonably sophisticated setup with McPherson Strut with progressive coils at the front and a multi-link setup at the back, launch control and a limited slip diff, all conspiring to try and put the VXR8 Tourer’s 425bhp power down through the rear wheels.