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

625 cars per day found to be insurance write-offs

ONE IN EVERY 33 vehicles given a history check is found to be an insurance write-off, according to data gathered by HPI. In 2012 one in 33 vehicles checked by HPI was an insurance total loss – otherwise known as a write-off. This equates to 625 cars a day or over 223,000 cars per year being dangerously repaired and sold on to unsuspecting consumers.

Dodge Journey to become Fiat Freemont

Dodge Journey is getting rebadged as the Fiat Freemont for Europe You might as well get used to this. Cross-pollination and re-badging between Chrysler and Fiat is going to move on apace in 2011 and this is just the start, with the recently re-fettled Dodge Journey being tweaked and re-badged for Europe as the Fiat Freemont. Sergio Marchionne sees the Journey doing much better in Europe badged as a Fiat, and he’s probably right.

Audi SQ5 TDI arrives at Le Mans

The Audi SQ5 TDI – a 309bhp diesel Q5 – is revealed at Le Mans as the first Audi S model with a diesel engine. It’s quite appropriate that the first diesel S Model from Audi has arrived at Le Mans in the shape of the Audi SQ5 TDI, where Audi are expected to dominate in diesel-engined cars. It also shows that Audi are aware that powerful diesel compact SUVs are a must have in today’s car market, and they’ve got in first with a proper barn-storming diesel Q5 before a Range Rover Evoque Sport with perhaps the 3.0 litre V6 diesel or a BMW X3 M40d arrives.