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

Driven: Range Rover Evoque

As Sam Livingstone opines in his review of the latest Porsche 911, we are in a period of car design consolidation, with the new 911 the ultimate expression of a slightly suffocating trend. Yet every so often, a vehicle appears that breaks these rules and – through a combination of factors that can be difficult to quantify – captures the imagination, becoming a symbol of the times and an overnight market success. Such vehicles tend to emerge once a decade or so, yet the late 90s and early noughties were extraordinary for giving birth to three – the Ford Ka of '96, Audi TT of '98 and Mini of '01.

Alfa Romeo to drop MiTo & Giulietta & go RWD

The Alfa 4C (pictured) is the first part of Alfa’s plans to make proper drivers cars The argument has always been made that you’re not a real petrolhead unless you’ve owned an Alfa. But really, it’s quite some time since Alfa made proper petrolhead cars. In recent years Alfa’s focus has been on competing in the mainstream hatch market, with cars like the MiTo and Giulietta, and credible though those cars are, they’re more Fiat than Alfa.

To sell the Stingray, Chevy plans to target Porsche

Corvette says there is a substitute for Porsche. And it's the all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray hitting showrooms this fall. General Motors' Chevrolet and ad agency Commonwealth, Detroit, are plotting an ambitious marketing strategy for one of the automaker's biggest launches of the year.