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

MINI Countryman Cooper & Paceman Cooper get ALL4 4WD

The MINI Countryman Cooper (pictured) & Paceman Cooper get ALL4 4WD We always find it astonishing that car makers ‘ration’ the availability of four wheel drive platforms in their cars, usually citing a ‘lack of demand’. But that lack of demand is usually predicated on the lack of supply, and increasing the supply of 4WD cars would see more sold, especially after a series of harsh winters where many motorists struggled to keep their cars in a straight line. So the decision by BMW to extend the availability of their ALL4 4WD setup to a wider range of MINIs is welcome, with the petrol Countryman Cooper and Paceman Cooper now getting the ALL4 option too.

Mercedes S-Class production increased to meet demand

Mercedes S-Class production increased We’ve reported recently on the strong sales Mercedes is enjoying with the new A-Class (and its swoopy-coupe sibling CLA), but it’s not just Mercedes compact cars that are flying out of showrooms. Mercedes has revealed it’s having to increase production at its plant in Sindelfingen by prolonging shifts by 74 minutes (after increasing them by 30 minutes earlier this year) in order to churn out enough S-Class cars to meet strong demand. But it’s not just the S-Class (as well as the A-Class cars) that are selling strongly, Mercedes are also upping production at Bremen to build more GLK and C-Class models.

Michelin Challenge Design announces 2009 jury

Michelin Challenge Design, one of the world's top design competitions, has announced its panel of judges for 2009. The distinguished group of automotive design leaders will meet in July at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, to select the vehicle designs and concepts for special exhibition at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit next January. This year marks the eighth year for the international competition.