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

Cheap mods: Adventures In Aspect Ratios

Seven years ago, I bought a rough-looking-but-good-running 1992 Honda Civic DX hatchback, for use as a gas-sipping alternative to my daily-driver P71 Crown Victoria. These days, it's the car I drive when it snows in Denver, and it's a reliable all-around beater. The EG Civic (as the 1992-95 Civic hatchback was designated by the factory) has become a much-sought-after classic in recent years, sort of the '55 Chevy of the early 21st century, and there's such a vast array of factory and aftermarket performance hardware available that I haven't been able to resist the idea of doing some power and suspension upgrades.

Brabus tunes up the Mercedes-Benz CL and an S-class

Brabus, tuner of all things Mercedes-Benz, has set its engineers loose on the all-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz CL and S500 models for the winter. The tuners add power, remove the standard speed limiter and add a custom exterior package. Both cars will be on the Brabus stand at the Essen Motor Show, which is like the SEMA of Germany.

Ford announces new Kuga models

Slotting in as the base model is a 2wd 2.0 TDCi which has a Co2 output of just 159g/km. This is a crucial point for businesses when the regulations change in April 2009. By coming in at under 160g/km the new Kuga will be eligible for a 20% writing down allowance, as opposed to the 10% for cars over 160g/km.