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

2012 Ford Focus ST gets 297bhp

Those clever chaps at SuperChips have given the 2012 Ford Focus ST a bit of an ECU tweak to deliver 297bhp and an extra 85lb/ft of torque. When we reported last week that WTC outfit Arena had in roped Ford’s tuner of choice, Mountune, to give the new Ford Focus a makeover, we were a tad disappointed to discover that they were tweaking the rather journeyman Focus Zetec S. That meant the Zetec S got 200bhp – a handy jump – but we bemoaned the fact that they hadn’t fiddled with the Focus ST to give us a car to fill the void left by the absence of a Focus RS in the current iteration of the Focus.

Volvo Concept Coupe (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

The Swedes have done emotional coupes before – like the C70 and the legendary P1800 – but the Volvo Concept Coupe is the first from its new designer, Thomas Ingenlath. Recruited from VW, Ingenlath says that the concept, which is underpinned by the new SPA platform (which stands for Scalable Platform Architecture) that will be used on the 2014 XC90, is both a nod to the past and a signal of intent for the future. You’ll be able to see it at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

1990s supercars

By Tim Pollard and Ben Oliver 10 July 2008 16:01 Supercars in the Nineties By now well and truly established, the supercar regulars continued to offer ever more outrageous products. The recession bit in the early ’90s, but thereafter some of the landmark cars were launched: the McLaren F1 is, for many, the definitive supercar of all time – a one-off conceived with all the purity of a grand prix racer. Others dabbled (remember the Jag XJ220?), but none achieved the Macca’s astonishing single-mindedness.Browse our GBU-style pick of the decade's landmarks below – and vote for your favourite supercar decade in our poll  Make and model Year Price Engine 0-60mph Top speed 1990 £156,000 5707cc V12, 492bhp, 428lb ft   4.1sec 202mph  For   The Audi-fettled 6.0 VT was the last, and best Against   A playboy's plaything; never gained real credibility Verdict   Lambo's thinking looked slow after the F40 and 959   Lamborghinis third mid-engined V12 supercar lacked the impact of the first two.