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

Refreshed Looks Signal Arrival Of Updated Yaris

HOT on the heels of its newly launched Aygo city car, Toyota has released the first details of its refreshed Yaris supermini. Scheduled to hit the showrooms this summer, the restyled car boasts an improved interior and better vehicle dynamics that its maker believes will position the car as one of the strongest contenders in the fiercely competitive supermini market. The Yaris follows the example of new Aygo, adopting a dramatic look that integrates a distinctive cross shape, centred on the front emblem, which separates the new-look upper and lower grilles.

CAR Magazine scoops Britain's top design prize

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 16 May 2007 09:33 CAR Magazine's design team has won the top accolade at the UK industry's oscars - the Periodical Publishers Association's Designer of the Year gong. Andy Thomas, who led last year's redesign of CAR with art editor Andy Franklin, collected the prize at the magazine industry's annual ceremony in the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London. CAR is no stranger to the PPA's top design silverware - we won the same award two years ago.

Aston Martin Rapide S arrives with 550 horses

Aston Martin is replacing the four-door Rapide with the Rapide S, which gets minor styling tweaks and extra power. Just as they did with the new DB9, Aston Martin has made the new Rapide S a more aggressive car, with small styling tweaks like a new grill and a small spoiler at the back, some minor trim tweaks with the addition of Piano Black trim and a new duotone black and red leather trim, and an optional carbon fibre pack for exterior highlights. Under the skin, the Rapide S is still based on Aston’s VH platform, but it does get the latest Gen 4 tweaks including new adaptive dampers with Normal, Sport and Track modes, tweaked dynamic stability control (DSC) and the latest AM11 engine dropped by 19mm for a lower centre of gravity.