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

Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon TI is spotted in metro Detroit

It's tough to say what a metro Detroit sighting of this manufacturer-plated Alfa Romeo 159 TI Sportwagon portends for the Italian automaker's long-anticipated return to the American market--probably nothing. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne's plan to bring Alfa Romeo back to the United States features the sporty, limited-edition 4C coupe, the subcompact MiTo and the midsize Giulia, but not the out-of-production 159. Still, a domestic sighting of a brand-new Alfa Romeo is a rare enough occurrence that we're happy to share these photos without further comment.

2014 Subaru WRX STI sets new Isle of Man TT lap record

The new Subaru WRX STI set a new Isle of Man TT record lap Last month we reported that rally driver Mark Higgins was heading back to the Isle of Man in an almost standard Subaru WRX STI to have a crack at breaking the record he set on the TT course in 2011 in the last WRX STI. The 2011 lap record Higgins set was the first time the record had been broken in 21 years, a record set by Tony Pond in 1990 in a Rover 827 Vitesse in a stunning drive in a less than ideal car for the task. Mark Higgins, perhaps unsurprisingly, blitzed Tony Pond’s 100mph average speed round the TT course and turned in a time of 19:56.7 at an average speed of 113mph.

Volkswagen e-Golf goes on sale – price from £30,845

The Volkswagen e-Golf (pictured) is now on sale in the UK The Nissan LEAF has almost had the market place for proper family EVs to itself until recently, but the arrival of the impressive BMW i3 -especially when specced with a range extending motor – threatens to make a dent in LEAF sales, and another dent could come courtesy of the new Volkswagen e-Golf, which goes on sale today in the UK priced from £30,845 (£25,845 after taxpayer bribe). In most of the ways that matters, the e-Golf is a regular Golf MK 7, but lurking under the familiar exterior lies a thumping great bank of batteries weighing 318kg (about the same as a car full of passengers) and an electric motor driving the front wheels and good for 113bhp. Range for the e-Golf is up to 118 miles from a full charge, a charge that will take 13 hours from a regular 3-pin socket, a more acceptable 8 hours if you use the optional 3.6 kW wallbox you can spec (for free from British Gas) and a quick charge of up to 80 per cent in 35 minutes.