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

New Bugatti 'could be too fast to test'

THE UPCOMING replacement for the world's fastest luxury car could be too quick to test, according to a motoring magazine. Bugatti is looking to replace the famous Veyron with a new, faster model that could reach speeds of around 286mph, but questions have been raised by weekly title Autocar over whether the facilities will exist to test it to its maximum. Not only is space a concern for the 1,500-horsepower concept, because it will need much longer straights than the Veyron, but also tyres are an issue.

Audi Q5 due next year: Autoweek Magazine

Audi will offer a hybrid version of its Q5 premium SUV in the US starting in late 2010, says Wolfgang Hatz, head of powertrain development for the Volkswagen group. If the car is a success in the US, Audi said it may launch it in Europe. In an interview at the auto show here last month, Hatz said Audi must offer a hybrid model to compete with rival vehicles that already offer the technology, such as the Lexus RX 400h.

Future Audis may time traffic lights for you

Here's a trick efficiency-chasing hypermilers have been using for years: spotting the cycles of stoplights from 100 to 200 yards out and letting the car coast up to the light just before it turns green, then carrying on without ever letting the car come to a complete stop. These hypermilers, along with professional truck drivers, do this because they know that accelerating from a standstill burns the greatest amount of fuel, and because letting a car coast up to the light with the automatic transmission downshifting by itself is easier on the transmission than stomping on the brakes right beneath the stoplight. Oh, and it's easier on the brake pads as well.