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

Ford drives the Peel P50 in to the new Transit – and turns it around

The Peel P50 drives in to the new Ford Transit The new Ford Transit offers lots of room for ‘Stuff’, something Ford decided to demonstrate by enlisting the world’s smallest car to demonstrate. It may be simply a take on Jeremy Clarkson’s games with the Peel in and around the BBC Television Centre – and you don’t get John Humphries driving the Peel or Fiona Bruce (and her bottom) pushing it back out – but you do get a good idea of just how big the new Transit is. We’re not entirely sure that turning the Peel around in the Transit – and yes, this Peel is fitted with a reverse gear, unlike Clarkson’s – demonstrates the Transit is any bigger than just driving in and driving out would, but the endless faffing to achieve an about turn is an excuse to use some Benny Hill-esque music to pass the time.

Consumer Reports releases 2013 reliability rankings

Japanese brands continue to dominate the Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability rankings, while some European brands gained and Ford Motor Co. continued to rank near the bottom of the industry. Lexus, Toyota and Acura swept the top three spots in the 2013 rankings and Japanese brands took seven of the top 10 places.

Interactive Audi Cam smoothes car repairs

Audi Cam system – now rolled out across Audi’s UK dealer network – smoothes repair flow decisions for customers. Last year Audi introduced Direct Reception technology across its dealer network, allowing customers to see and speak to the mechanics (sorry, technicians) as they work on a car. It’s a good way to pass the time if you have the time in the first place to sit in a dealer’s reception whilst your car is worked on, but it always seemed more a gimmick than anything else; a bit like the ‘Celebrity Chef Kitchen Table’ fad.