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

BMW 7-series facelift (2012) first pictures

BMW has given the 7-series the mildest of mid-life facelifts for 2012 – with a series of cosmetic tidy-ups, fettled engines, extra kit and the UK's first hybrid 7-series. The ActiveHybrid7 isn't the most expensive 7-series (that's the 760Li at £101,805), but at £66,040 the petrol-electric saloon is some £8k pricier than the biggest-selling 730d. As the diesel is also cleaner and more economical, we suspect the hybrid Seven will remain a niche seller over here.

2012 Audi Q3 revealed before Shanghai

2012 Audi A3 Sketches released Apart from the location – the Shanghai Motor Show – we ran pretty much the same headline seven months ago, when we confidently predicted the arrival of the Audi Q3 at the Paris Motor Show. And we were completely wrong. This time we’re certain we’re right (just like last time) and the latest piece in Audi’s niche-filling campaign will actually turn up at Shanghai in production-ready form and go on sale this year.

Cars, Culture and the City

When you think of American cities associated with the car it is Los Angeles of course that leaps first to mind, thanks mostly to Hollywood, and Detroit second. But New York turns out to have been vital in the history of car design, as I found researching an exhibition Cars, Culture and the City at the Museum of the City of New York as guest curator over the last few months, working with the museums curator architecture and design, Donald Albrecht. The show has just opened, on March 25.