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

Skoda Yeti, Octavia and Superb Tour de France Special Editions launched

The Skoda Yeti Tour de France (pictured) – just one of three Skoda TdF Specials It’s always nice to have a hook to a limited edition car, and Skoda are hanging their latest limited editions of the Yeti, Octavia and Superb on the Tour de France. The 2014 Tour de France will see its first three stages run in the UK, so Skoda are doing a ‘cycling enthusiast’ version of the Yeti, Superb and Octavia with some ‘le Tour de France’ badges, waterproof covers for the seats and bike wheel bags as well as throwing in a centenary edition of the Rouleur Tour de France book and a chance to win a VIP Tour de France experience. Just 198 examples of each car will be built – that’s the number of entries for this year’s Tour de France – and you can only have one in Red, White or Blue.

Skoda Fabia vRS to be dropped due to poor sales. Is that a good idea?

The Skoda Fabia vRS (pictured) is being axed The current version of the Skoda Fabia vRS has been with us since the Geneva Motor Show in 2010, and it’s a cracking little car. It’s the Skoda version of the VW Polo GTI and comes with the same 1.4 litre TSI supercharged with a healthy 178bhp, 7-speed DSG gearbox and performance and economy that satisfies – 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds and 44mpg. But it seems buyers aren’t queueing round the block to drive off in Skoda’s hot little Fabia so it’s going to be dropped.

JUNKER KEEPER: Federal database tracks totaled vehicles, clunkers

First, it was the hurricane-damaged used cars flooding the market. Now, it’s the clunkers turned in--and supposedly junked--as part of the federal Cars Allowance Rebate System “cash for clunkers” program. Following Hurricane Katrina, cars declared as total losses in one state were able to get clean titles in other states and were resold to unsuspecting consumers.