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

Ariel's Atom returns faster than ever

BRITISH firm Ariel has announced an upgraded version of its sensational Atom sportscar that is faster than ever, making it one of the quickest cars on sale today. The Atom 3.5R showcases a number of upgrades over the outgoing model which contribute to the sensational performance. The 2.0-litre Honda V-TEC engine has had its supercharger revised to give 350bhp and over 240lb.ft of torque, while the gearbox is now a six-speed paddleshift system that can manage five downshifts in less than a second.

Vauxhall Astra GTC 2011 / 2012 revealed

Vauxhall Astra GTC - the 3 door Astra will be revealed in June Actually, we’re not sure we should really have called this a reveal of the new Vauxhall Astra GTC. It’s more the reveal of the production version of the GTC Concept we already saw at the Paris Motor Show last year. Surprisingly, the Astra GTC manages to hang on to quite a bit of the style of the GTC Concept, such as the blistered wheel arches and the deep grill, although the usual conpcety stuff – like oversized alloys – have had to bite the dust.

Mazda reveal date for all-new MX-5

Mazda has confirmed that the all-new fourth generation Mazda MX-5 (ND) will be unveiled in September 2014. The new MX-5 will be shown simultaneously at events in the USA, Japan and Barcelona in Spain. 2014 also marks the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the first MX-5 – also know as the Eunos Roadster and Mazda Miata – in 1989.