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

Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2012) the Vantage S-inspired upgrade

This is Aston Martin’s new V8 Vantage, with a new gearbox, styling tweaks and chassis upgrades. You might think it looks little different than before – and that’s no bad thing – but Aston Martin claims the updates amount to ‘most comprehensive programme of enhancements’ since the 4.7-litre version of the V8 Vantage was launched in 2008. The new Aston Martin V8 Vantage will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March 2012, just in time to distract potential customers away from the new Porsche 911.  So what’s new about the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage?

Nissan’s NV200 London Taxi revealed in production guise

Nissan’s NV200 London Taxi revealed in production guise The lack of investment in the traditional London Taxi has left the door wide open for competitors, and Mercedes has made a good pitch with its Vito Taxi. But perhaps the most promising option for London Cabbies is the new Nissan NV200 Taxi for London – previewed over a year ago – which has now been fettled enough to be rolled out in something very close to production guise. Designed by Nissan’s London Design Studio, the NV200 Taxi for London is very similar to those Nissan has produced for other iconic taxi hotspots round the world – like the yellow New York Nissan Taxi – but comes with a bit of a pastiche of the traditional black cab’s nose with a new grill and round headlights.

First Sight: Skoda Octavia

The new Skoda Octavia was unveiled earlier this week in the Czech brand's museum at its home in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. Car Design News was in attendance to check out the third generation of what the company calls ‘the heart of Skoda'. The new Octavia is the fourth model in the Volkswagen Group to be built on the new MQB (Modularer Querbaukasten) platform.