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

Motorists Get In A Muddle Over MOT

A NEW survey from a major fast fit retailer might have you looking more closely at the condition of the cars you share the road with. Research from Kwik Fit reveals nine percent of drivers admitting they were not aware that an MoT certificate was a legal requirement for cars over three years old. The study also highlighted ignorance with regards to other motoring obligations, with nine percent of drivers admitting they didn’t realise car insurance was compulsory and 10 percent saying the same about a valid tax disc.

Nissan X-Trail (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

This is the new Nissan X-Trail, which goes on UK sale in 2014. By offering a seven-seater option and an adaptive four-wheel-drive powertrain, Nissan is sounding the death-knell for its Qashqai+2 model: there’s to be a new, five-seater Qashqai next year. So, it better be good, the new X-Trail.

Tokyo Auto Salon pits performance autos against hybrids

The world's other big January auto show, the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, opened its doors to tuner enthusiasts in mid-month with a record 402 exhibitors. The Auto Salon fuses numerous styles, but the overriding theme this year was hybrid cars, with customized Toyota Priuses and Honda Insights at every turn. Good old-fashioned engine tuning is alive and well in Japan, where even new sports cars are being heavily modified, with cars such as the KRL Mitsubishi Evolution X and the HKS Nissan GT-R both boasting in excess of 600 hp.