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

GM continues work on fuel-saving engine technology

Sometime in the next decade, you might be able to enjoy some of the benefits of a diesel without driving one. A technology called HCCI improves fuel economy 15 percent and releases fewer emissions by using a combustion process similar to what is used in diesel powerplants. General Motors continues work on the project, which could be applied across a range of engine sizes and used with other advanced fuel-saving technologies to help the company comply with the proposed new mileage and emissions targets announced Tuesday by President Barack Obama.

Driven: Mitsubishi i

We first reviewed the diminutive Mitsubishi 'i' when it was unveiled at the 2005 Tokyo Motor show and, while we were pleased with the overall design of the car, we were disappointed that Mitsubishi had chosen not to export the innovative vehicle to other markets. But with the popularity of this compact urban cruiser soaring in Japan and the recent availability of the vehicle in the UK, we now had a chance to give it a go on the often traffic crippled streets of central London. Congestion in urban milieus is not a new phenomenon, but even with London's congestion charging system extorting money from drivers it doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Ford Focus ST & Fiesta ST get official power upgrades

Ford Focus ST & Fiesta ST (pictured) get Mountune power upgrades There’a a big after-market for tuning cars to deliver more power without wrecking economy or reliability, so it makes sense for car makers to get in on the act if they can. So Ford have teamed up again with Mountune (just as they did a few years ago to offer you 345bhp in your Focus RS) to offer performance upgrades for both the latest Focus ST and the Fiesta ST. The tuning package for the Focus ST boosts power to 271bhp – up from the stock power of 246bhp – and the 0-62mph time drops to under 6 seconds, half a second quicker than the normally tuned car.