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

Ford to launch 25 new models in Europe in next 5 years

The new Ford S-mAx (pictured) is just one of 25 new Fords heading for Europe Ford of Europe has had a miserable time of late, with the European market in disarray as the Eurozone crisis continues to rumble and car buyers on the continent shy away from big ticket purchases. But, just as they did in the US, Ford are making plans to cash-in when the Eurozone economy improves in the coming years (not that that’s an absolute given) and are going to ready with a raft of new models to tempt mainstream buyers when economies start to grow and car finance becomes a realistic option for more once again. Barb Samardzich, Ford’s head of product development in Europe, says Ford are planning to make their portfolio of products the best ever in anticipation of a recovery, with a huge 25 new models launching over the next five years, and they will be additions to the Ford line-up or new generations, not variants.

Toyota Recall Update: Half of UK cars now fixed

Toyota has fixed half of the 180k cars recalled over the sticky throttle problems It seems like forever ago that we revealed the enormous problems Toyota had with a mass worldwide recall on a  chunk of the cars they’ve produced in the last few years, but it’s actually only a little over a month – even less since we reported on the Prius recall. But having reported the negatives about Toyota – deservedly so – it’s only fair to report the positives. The Toyota Recall for the sticky accelerator affected a rather significant 180,965 cars in the UK alone.

Mercedes E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID – Africa to Goodwood on a single tank of fuel

The Mercedes E300 Hybrid – Africa to Goodwood on a tank of fuel It might cost more to buy a hybrid car than a regular ICE car, but if you do a lot of miles the fuel savings can be impressive and, with many modern cars, you can choose to use the extra electric motor for more performance when parsimony isn’t at the top of your agenda. A good example of a car that offers plenty of luxuries, decent performance and the ability to eke out a gallon of fuel further than you’d ever have thought possible is the latest Mercedes E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID. With a 201 bhp diesel engine and a 27 bhp electric motor, the Mercedes hybrid can get to 62 mph in 7.5 seconds, reach 155 mph and offers leather trim, COMAND, Climate and all the little luxuries that make time behind the wheel more bearable.