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

Mazda 2 facelift (2012) with SkyActiv revealed

The Mazda Demio facelift - that's Mazda2 to me and you We’re back to the old story of car reveals for the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) pointing at reveals to come in overseas markets, with the reveal of the facelifted Mazda Demio telling us all we need to know about the next Mazda 2 Facelift. Although the Mazda2 has had the car surgeon’s knife lightly applied to freshen things up a bit, the big news is the oily bits, where Mazda are busy showing us that there are better alternatives to frugal cars than electric or hybrid. The new Mazda 2 gets the direct injection, 1.3 litre SkyActiv engine which features a raft of technology to squeeze every last drop of energy out of the petrol it uses, together with a CVT ‘box which does the decent thing and offers a seven-speed manual mode.

Brazil plant for Jaguar Land Rover

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) is to become the first UK car-maker to open a manufacturing facility in Brazil. JLR is investing £240 million in the initiative, which will see the development of a plant that will produce up to 24,000 vehicles a year. The factory, based in the city of Itatiaia, will initially employ 400 people, with the first vehicles due to come off the assembly line in 2016.

Vauxhall Ampera price cut by £3,500

The Vauxhall Ampera (pictured) drops in price by £3500 Although we still feel the range-extender is the right way for car makers to go to get the car buying public to accept EVs, the range-extender Vauxhall Ampera has not exactly been a runaway success. Despite Vauxhall offering potential Ampera buyers the option of trying it for 30 days and handing it back if they don’t like it, the Ampera has failed miserably to sell in any sort of volume. So, with new competition on the way from the range-extender BMW i3, Vauxhall are taking drastic action to try and tempt buyers in to the Ampera and are slashing prices by £3,500.