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

Aston Martin in talks with Mercedes for engine supply

It has seemed for some time that Aston Martin’s wish-list for future engines revolved around Mercedes. They currently use a V12 developed from Ford’s Mondeo V6 and a V8 that’s a development of the 4.2 litre that was in Jaguars (and Range Rovers) until a few years ago, but new engines (and new platforms) are vital if Aston are to remain competitive. Before the recent investment in AML by Investindustrial, there were plans for Aston to use both engines and platforms from Mercedes (the Lagonda SUV was built on the underpinnings of the Mercedes GL) and even the possibility that Aston Martin would design and build the next generation Maybach.

Mazda MX-5 20th Anniversary Edition at Geneva

Mazda are launching the UK and European MX-5 20th Anniversary Edition at Geneva The Mazda MX-5 20th Anniversary Edition is launching at the Geneva Motor Show in March. But if you come to Cars UK regularly you will now be asking yourself “Didn’t that get launched last year?” And the answer is yes – we reported on the MX-5 20th at the time – but only in Japan for the JDM. At the time we reckoned it would take a few months to reach the UK and Europe.

Vauxhall Ampera Price revealed

The Vauxhall Ampera costs £28,995 - even after the taxpayer chips in £5k Sensibly, Vauxhall has chosen to reveal the price of the range-extender Vauxhall Ampera on the day it was included on the list of cars eligible for the £5,000 taxpayer subsidy for plug-in cars. Vauxhall will be getting £33,995 for every Ampera they shift, although the buyer will pay £28,995 thanks to the taxpayer subsidy. Which, whether you pick the subsidised price or the actual price, is an awful lot of money.