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

VW Group planning 10-speed DSG, new powerful diesel engine & more plug-in hybrids

The end of the internal combustion engine is nigh, they say, as the world tries to clean up its environmental act and works towards a goal of electric motors to power our personal transport. But car makers are fighting that belief by extracting more power for less fuel from ICE engines, and there’s still a very long way to go before the ICE engine is consigned to the history books. Volkswagen has already reduced the fuel consumption of both their diesel and petrol engines by 30 per cent since 2000 and plan a further reduction of 15 per cent by 2020.

Jaguar Land Rover factory closure

Jaguar Land Rover are to close one of their production facilities in the Midlands JLR unions have already brokered a deal to ensure no job losses in the short term, but JLR are committed to rationalising their manufacturing across just two plants in the UK, instead of the existing three. The decision will be made about which plant to close in the next eighteen months. The most likely scenario is that JLR will close Solihull – which currently produces Land Rovers and employs 5000 people – and concentrate Land Rover production at Halewood.

Caterham Seven (2006): first official pictures

By Ollie Compton First Official Pictures 24 October 2006 12:47 Caterham Seven: the lowdown Caterham has kicked out the K-series, replacing it with a tuned 1.6-litre Ford engine for the next generation Seven sports car. The Sigma engine – used in the Fiesta and Focus – is available with two outputs: 125bhp in the Roadsport (pictured), or 140bhp in Superlight trim. A third engine with around 160bhp will follow in spring 2007.