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

Driven: BMW 6 Series convertible

Every large BMW coupe – from the E9 3.0 CS, through the shark-nosed E24 6 Series, Claus Luthe's beautiful E31 8 Series, right up to the outgoing, Bangle-era E63 6er – has had an exoticism beyond every other car in the brand's range. We drove the latest from the most southern point of Europe back to our London office to find out if it too is a truly Grand Tourer. Stepping off the 'plane in Gibraltar, greeted by a Deep Sea Blue 650i with Ivory White leather, 19-inch rims and Shadow Line exterior trim under the early summer Mediterranean sun, it's clear that the right colorway and a more appropriate setting certainly help the F12's cause after our disappointment with the car at its debut in Detroit earlier in the year.

New Vauxhall Meriva (2010) spotted

The 2010 Vauxhall Meriva testing at the Nurburgring This Meriva is an all new design and follows the family theme set by the new Astra and Insignia. But we think it’s a bit of a ringer for the new Kia Venga we saw at Frankfurt last week. Still, there’s a limit to what you can do with a set criteria and a five-seat MPV, so that’s no huge surprise.

Kia Carens

Kia's latest Carens compact MPV is set to debut on 27 September during the Paris motor show. The 2013 Carens, the work of Peter Schreyer and his design team, was conceived around the theme of ‘dynamic space' and features a cab-forward design with a longer wheelbase, lower roofline and chrome beltline accent. Very few other details have emerged of the Renault Scenic rival but we'll bring you full details when they do.