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

Mini at the London motor show 2008

By Guy Bird and CAR reader reporter Carcare Motor Shows 23 July 2008 22:14 Mini went ‘all intellectual’ on us with a university theme to its London stand on account of its Oxford connections. It also served up some quality crumpet (more of which later)… So what’s new on Mini’s London motor show stand?The ultimate Mini – the John Cooper Works version – went on sale on press day of the London motor show, offering 208bhp, 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds, a 148 mph top speed and a cool body kit. Click here for CAR's first drive of the JCW hot hatch.The £20,995 JCW hatch is the first of many planned JCW-badged Minis, with a Convertible version tipped for an unveil at the Detroit show in January 2009 and a Clubman JCW to follow in the same year with a similar price premium over existing models of about £1500.

PSA Peugeot-Citroen: Factory closures & 8,000 job losses planned

PSA Peugeot Citroen has revealed it is to close one factory, cut job numbers elsewhere and shed a total of 8,000 jobs as demand for its cars dwindles. When we reported last year that Peugeot Citroen were planning to idle their plant in Trnava, Western Slovakia we said that this was just the tip of the iceberg for Peugeot Citroen, and that they would have to take far more drastic action if they were to survive. They must have been listening.

May sales slide 4 percent on rising fuel prices, tight vehicle supplies

U.S. light vehicle sales dropped 4 percent in May--the first decline since August--as rising gas prices, inventory shortages, higher stickers and economic jitters curbed demand. The pace of sales last month--11.78 million units on an annualized basis--was the year's lowest and marked the first seasonally adjusted total below 12 million units in seven months.