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

Moody's boosts Ford's credit rating

Moody's Investors Service upgraded Ford Motor Co.'s debt to investment grade, culminating the automaker's six-year struggle to win back the Blue Oval and other assets mortgaged in 2006. Moody's is the second agency to upgrade Ford's debt from junk status, paving the way for the company to recover assets it mortgaged in 2006 to stave off bankruptcy. The company raised $23.5 billion in a move that allowed it to avoid government bailouts or bankruptcy when the industry collapsed in 2008.

2013 Nissan LEAF updated

Nissan has updated the LEAF EV in Japan for 2013 with better range, less weight and a new LEAF S entry-level model. Revealed in Japan – but likely to come to the UK from 2013 when the LEAF starts rolling out of Nissan’s Sunderland factory – there are significant upgrades to the powertrain which result in both less weight and better range. Nissan has had a play with the electric powertrain and made it both smaller and lighter with a new motor that uses 40 per cent less dysprosium (a rare earth metal) than before, and comes in 30 per cent smaller and 10 per cent lighter, and a new streamline battery case and a few other tweaks drops the LEAF’s weight by 80kg.

New Vauxhall Astra (2010) – the Tease

The new Vauxhall Astra - teased ahead of a launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show [ad#ad-1] You’d think Vauxhall would have better things to do with the current GM mess than torment buyers with teaser shots of the new Vauxhall Astra. But, just like every other car maker lately, they seem to think that this is the way to lead-in to a launch. This time we’ve got a variation on a theme, with the New Astra being ‘Disguised’ by getting the car’s designers to drape themselves (and their paperwork) strategically over the car.