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

Car makers to be forced to disclaim ‘Official’ economy figures

We’ve banged on for a long time about the futility of official economy figures, especially as car makers get better and better at ‘gaming’ the official economy tests to produce the results they want. Much of the impetus to create the best headline economy figure for a car is driven by taxation, with car makers well aware that the better the official economy results are, the lower their CO2 will be (CO2 isn’t tested for – it’s just extrapolated from the official mpg) and the more appealing the car will be to buyers, particularly fleet buyers. But a ruling by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) against Audi could at least see car makers having to admit in their adverts that the ‘official’ economy figure bears no relation to what owners can expect to achieve in the real world.

Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series (2008): first photos

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 11 July 2008 08:16 Mercedes isn't just a car company; it now offers a conveyor belt to satisfy the most farflung consumer mores. Why else launch the SL65 AMG Black Series? It's not as if the current SL63 and SL65 aren't powerful or fast enough (604bhp and 4.2sec 0-62mph, anyone?).

XCar tests the Jaguar F-Type R coupe in Spain

Host Alex Goy put the new hardtop Jaguar F-Type R coupe through its paces in the latest edition of XCar. Goy says the loud, red Jag was the first car he has been pulled over in during a shoot -- which must mean he’s either more restrained than we’d have guessed or just supremely lucky. The F-Type R is now the fastest Jaguar you can buy, with 543 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque on tap.