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

Renault looking to 'relaunch the 5 below Clio'

Spurred on by the success of BMW's Mini, Fiat's 500 and VW's Beetle, Renault is actively considering the relaunch of the 5 to slot below the Clio, CAR has learned. However, a new Renault 5 would not be a retro car, according to senior sources in Paris. 'We have no retro cars in our plan,' said our mole.

New Peugeot 208 production cut as sales disappoint

Peugeot is cutting back on production of the new 208 as its sales fail to reach expectations, just six months on from launch. It’s not enough when Europe is ion the midst of an economic crisis and car buyers are polarised between ‘budget’ cars that offer more for less than mainstream offerings and ‘Premium’ models that are bought on the back of a preconceived notion of more kudos. That leaves car makers like Peugeot (and Renault, Citroen, Vauxhall, Ford, Opel, Fiat…) between a rock and a hard place, unable – or unwilling – to compete with the offerings from Korea and saddled with a brand that doesn’t have the ‘class’ of an Audi or a BMW or a Mercedes or even a VW.

McLaren announces markets for MP4-12C

McLaren announced 35 markets where it will sell the Formula-One-inspired MP4-12C on Friday, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Toronto. Ten markets in the North America will sell the ultra-light, high-performance sports car starting in the spring of 2011. Other global markets include London, Monaco, Paris, Frankfurt, Kuwait and Johannesburg.