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

Volvo V40 Cross Country & V40 R-Design: Paris 2012

Volvo has revealed the V40 Cross Country and V40 R-Design at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, and both are convincing. The sporty take on the new V40 is the V40 R-design, a cosmetic update for the already good-looking V40 that manages to bolt on go-faster bits without wrecking the good lines of the normal V40. We would like to have seen the Volvo V40 R-Design get the sports suspension as standard, but Volvo obviously feel that most R-Design buyers want the looks rather than the more dynamic ride the sports suspension offers, so it stays as an option. And as the R-Design option is available across the new V40 range – from the D2 to the T4 – it’s probably the right decision.

It’s the BMW 7-Series ‘Horse Edition’ to celebrate China’s Year of the Horse

The BMW 7-Series Horse Edition (pictured) heading for the 2014 Beijing Motor Show China is a huge car market for premium brand, so with the Beijing Motor Show on the way we’ll no doubt be seeing a raft of China Specials revealed as car makers seek to appeal to China’s still deep-pocketed buyers. Cars like the Ferrari 458 Italia China Special Edition, Audi R8 China Edition, Porsche 911 Turbo S China 10th Anniversary Edition and Aston Martin’s ‘Dragon 88′ special editions of the DBS Volante, Virage Coupe and V8 Vantage S Coupe are just a few of the China Specials Western car makers have bolted together to tempt the Chinese to part with their cash. Now we have another with the BMW 7-Series Horse Edition, which might sound like a special edition Land Rover Discovery but which is in fact a titivated 7-Series to celebrate the Year of the Horse.

918 Alert! Porsche's stinging spyder grows closer to becoming reality

The first fully road-going prototype of Porsche's upcoming 202-mph hybrid-powered 918 Spyder has been seen during shakedown runs at the company's R&D center in Germany. Porsche released its own lightly disguised photographs of the cars being tested. The mules are “camouflaged” in livery meant to summon the famous 917 racer.