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

Driven: Range Rover Evoque

As Sam Livingstone opines in his review of the latest Porsche 911, we are in a period of car design consolidation, with the new 911 the ultimate expression of a slightly suffocating trend. Yet every so often, a vehicle appears that breaks these rules and – through a combination of factors that can be difficult to quantify – captures the imagination, becoming a symbol of the times and an overnight market success. Such vehicles tend to emerge once a decade or so, yet the late 90s and early noughties were extraordinary for giving birth to three – the Ford Ka of '96, Audi TT of '98 and Mini of '01.

2009 Mazda 3 Review

Cars UK [rating:4.0] The new Mazda 3 arrives in UK Car Showrooms in May Still based on the Ford Focus platform, the Mazda 3 has taken on a chunk of design cues from the RX-8 and has, in our eyes, become probably the best looking car in its class. With its new, stiffened structure, the Mazda 3 promises to be a cracking drive, and Mazda has managed to improve fuel economy by 15% and reduce emissions by nearly 20% thanks to stop/start and terrific aerodynamics. But is all this enough to dethrone the Focus?

How the Honda Civic got a fast makeover

Jay Guzowski was getting more nervous by the day. As senior product planner for the redesign of the 2012 Honda Civic, Guzowski was shepherding the compact car from design freeze to market. But as he listened to others around the American Honda conference table -- with a year to go before the car's on-sale date -- he heard a disturbing refrain: The upcoming Civic was not good enough.