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

Suzuki refreshes Swift with five-door Sport and 4x4 model

Suzuki is offering its cracking little warm hatch, the Swift Sport, with five doors for 2013. The family-friendly model shares its powertrain with the three-door Swift CAR ran (and loved) as a long termer last year – that means a naturally aspirated, 1.6-litre engine good for 134bhp, a six-speed manual gearbox and 0-62mph in 8.7sec. Suzuki says it expects one-third of Swift Sport customers to opt for the five-door model – sales have so far averaged 1200 a year in the UK.

Mercedes-Benz to attempt longest-ever powerslide

Mercedes-Benz aims to top the current world record for the longest-ever powerslide this weekend at the Brooklands circuit in Surrey in the United Kingdom. Mercedes driver Mauro Calo will spend about four minutes sliding either an E63 or a C63 AMG sedan in a 55-mph, third-gear drift. The goal is to rack up 10,000 feet (nearly two miles) sideways, obliterating the existing record of 8,000 feet.

Heifer fuel

Unlike most people, when Michael Doyle drives past a herd of cattle grazing in a field, he doesn't see future tenderloins or T-bones. He sees fuel. The company Doyle co-owns, North Star Biofuels, is about to start production of biodiesel at a new $15 million, 20,000-square-foot plant in Watsonville, Calif., about 60 miles south of San Francisco.