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

New Mercedes A45 AMG has 105 years of 4WD on its side

With the new Mercedes A45 AMG on the horizon – complete with 4WD – Mercedes chart the history of all wheel drive on their vehicles. We tend to think of 4WD road cars as a modern innovation, and certainly very few 4WD road cars hit the road in a mainstream way much before the 1980s (the Jensen FF was hardly mainstream before someone points out that was in the 1960s). But the history of 4WD goes back, certainly in the case of Mercedes, a surprising 105 years when Daimler built the Dernburg-Wagen, a 4WD vehicle that not only got all-wheel drive but all wheel steering too.

Small but safe: the Fiat 500

By Ben Pulman Motor Industry 31 August 2007 10:29 Fiat’s new baby, the 500, has just achieved a full five-star Euro NCAP rating for adult safety. The 500's score of 35 points puts it ahead of cars like the Mini and Renault Clio while the 500’s closest rival, the Renault Twingo, only achieved four stars in the latest tests. The 500’s 35 points bettered the Twingo’s 28, as did its 14 point to the Renault’s 11 for pedestrian safety (though both ratings are equivalent to two stars).

Porsche Boxster

The Porsche Boxster has been completely redesigned as it enters its third generation since its introduction in 1996. As can be expected from the Stuttgart manufacturer, the design is progressive, evolving the familiar two-seater into a more distinctive proposition within the Porsche range. Its proportions are also altered, with a flatter silhouette and shorter overhangs, while the base of the windscreen has been significantly shifted forward.