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

McLaren Production Centre opened by PM David Cameron

Call me Dave at Woking with Ron, Jen & Lew The launch of McLaren Automotive and the McLaren MP4-12C has been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Ron Dennis and McLaren. The reviews of the MP4-12C were overwhelmingly positive – with a few small caveats – and the press, on the whole, loved that McLaren were taking on the might of Ferrari with a car that truly was its match. But there have been a few hiccups along the way.

Petrol cars twice as likely to fail MOT on emissions

The latest MOT test data shows that 26.2% of all cars tested fail on excess exhaust emissions – and surprisingly petrol cars fail more than twice as often as diesels in this part of the annual roadworthiness test. According to the official Vehicle Operator and Standard Agency (VOSA) figures, which cover all of 2010 and the first nine months of 2011, 9.7% of petrol cars failed to meet MOT emissions standards compared to just 3.9% of diesels. On Bing: see pictures of the MOT test Find out how much a used car with 12 months MOT costs on Auto Trader The analysis has been carried out by fuel additive “provider” Redex, which naturally has an interest in the findings, since its products are designed to breakdown engine deposits and improve efficiency.

One Lap of the Web: The Legend of Ludacris, McLaren engine removal and the Lotus Seven

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- Want to see a McLaren F1 get major surgery?