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

Concept Car of the Week: Italdesign Machimoto (1986)

The Machimoto might look and sound like a Japanese concept, but it was developed in Europe in the Turin-based Italdesign studio, and was based on a Volkswagen Golf GTI platform. The name actually derives from MACHIna (car in Italian) and MOTOciclo (motorcycle) as the perfect hybrid between the worlds of two- and four-wheelers. Unveiled on its home turf at the Turin motor show in 1986, it landed like a UFO, shocking both the public and the press.

Pininfarina’s new Alfa concept at Geneva motor show 2010

Pininfarina will show this new Alfa Romeo-based concept car at the 2010 Geneva motor show. The two-seater is a celebration of the relationship between two of the most stylish names in motoring, in a year that will have Pininfarina blowing out 80 candles and Alfa Romeo 100. When you consider the original 8C, the 1966 Spider Duetto, the 1987 164 and the 2003 Alfa Romeo GTV, it is definitely a relationship worth celebrating.

UK Car Insurance Company reports buyers downsizing

Swinton Insurance claim quote requests for bigger cars are down 20% Swinton say that it has seen an increase of 25% in quote requests for smaller engined cars in the last six months and a decrease of 20% in car insurance quotes for cars over 1.8 litres (which, short of the big-engined cars being scrapped begs the question: What’s happened to the big-engined cars? Did they just disappear, or are they just not being insured?). But this got us thinking.