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

New 2013 Nissan Note gets more appealing

The new Nissan Note has turned in to a Ford Fiesta basher as Nissan turn the Note from a boring little MPV in to a convincing small hatch. We did think the Invitation would be watered down to produce a slightly titivated new Note for production, but much of the style has found its way through in to the new Note – which we first saw in the JDM Nissan Note last summer – and the Note now looks set to take on proper compact hatches like the Ford Fiesta. The nose of the new Note is now more convincing – with new headlights and grill – and the doors get a great big feature crease that looks like a giant smoothing iron has stamped its mark, although Nissan say it’s a ‘Squash Line’  whose ‘angles were inspired by the flight of a fast moving squash ball travelling around a court’.

The best new-car discounts and deals: March's biggest savings

With the 14-registration plate change in March, dealers and manufacturers will be expecting to build on a strong start to the year. To do that they’ll have to discount. Here’s our pick of the biggest new car discounts available.

Concept Car of the Week: GM-X Stiletto (1964)

With dreams of flying cars as the ultimate inspiration, General Motors designers in the ‘60s used every trick possible to make their creations appear as though they were floating – long, straight bodies, wheels pushed in and hidden away, large fins and lights that looked like rockets. As William L. Mitchell took the reins of GM Design, he brought a more high-tech approach, with simpler surfaces, a more restrained use of chrome and a general sense of elegant simplicity.