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

Lexus NX compact SUV production starts – first UK deliveries October 2014

The first Lexus NX rolls off the production line We’re not entirely sure the new Lexus NX – revealed in production guise at the Beijing Motor Show in April - will be one of the most driver-focused compact SUVs, but it is a car that should see Lexus sales rise considerably. And the NX is now starting to roll off the production line at Lexus’s Miyata plant in Japan, and Lexus say they already have 6,500 orders for the NX in Japan, and a more modest 350 in the UK. The big seller in the UK – in the absence of a diesel NX – will be the NX 300h with its hybrid setup of a 2.5 litre petrol engine, electric motor and CVT gearbox, but despite promises of good economy (55.4mpg) the real world economy is likely to be significantly less, although its high headline economy will help BIK rates for business buyers.

Lotus lusts after Lutz?

Lotus seem to be pursuing Bob Lutz The Lotus five year plan calls for the track day cars to make way for much more substantial and upmarket cars to become the force at Lotus; a move to become the Aston Martin East Anglia. Probably the first obvious move in this plan was to grab Dany Bahar from Ferrari last year (and Ferrari designer Donato Coco) and now Lotus are casting their net again to snare some big names to drive them forward. Top of the list is almost-octogenarian Bob Lutz who retired from GM – but certainly not from business – last year.

Honda Civic Type R Mugen 2.2 revealed. But why bother?

Honda Civic Type R Mugen 2.2 - will it sell? When Honda finally confirmed the Civic Type R Mugen for very limited production – just 20 were being made – back in 2009, we did comment that the price - £38,599 and a £12k premium over the stock Type R – did not auger well for sales. In the event Honda has only managed to shift sixteen of the original Type R Mugen, but despite that sales failure they have decided to punt out a more powerful – and inevitably more expensive – version of the Type R with a bored and stroke 2.2 litre version of the original 2.0 litre in the Type R – the Honda Civic Type R Mugen 2.2.