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

High Fuel Costs Forcing Drivers Off Road

THE latest AA/Populus survey released to coincide with the Government’s Autumn Statement tells us something we probably already know: high fuel prices are continuing to force drivers to use their cars less. As part of its poll of 21,587 AA members, the organisation found that 45% are cutting down on car usage and 28% are slashing family or personal budgets to compensate. Semi or unskilled workers and pensioners are cutting back most on motoring, with 53% using their cars less.

MINI Yours: MINI customisation kicks off with MINI Avenue

MINI Avenue - an off-the-peg MINI Yours We already know that MINI seems to launch more limited editions every year than the whole of the rest of the car industry. But now they’re going a step further with a customisation programme called ‘MINI Yours’, and an off-the-peg version called the MINI Avenue. MINI Yours is all about offering the sort of customisation offered for the original Mini in the 1960s by companies like Radford - and about making good margins on the add-ons – with a huge range of customisation stuff above and beyond what appears in the MINI Limited Editions.

Subaru XV gets another price cut – down by £2300 across the XV range

The Subaru XV (pictured) gets a price cut of £2,300 across the range Over a year ago, Subaru launched the new XV in the UK with a starting point of £21,995, Which was decent value for an able Crossover/SUV. But by May of 2013, Subaru had decided there was room to play with the XV’s price – or at least on the 1.6 litre petrol version – and they announced a £1300 price drop for the entry-level petrol XV. But now, just six weeks later, Subaru has decided that the weakening Yen has given them more room to manoeuvre on price and have announced they’re cutting prices across the whole XV range by £2300 (which actually means £1,000 off the new price for the 1.6 litre petrol).