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

Nissan Juke Nismo: Paris 2012

Nissan has kicked off its Nismo road car range with the reveal of the production Juke Nismo at the Paris Motor Show. The Juke Nismo get the same 1.6 litre petrol engine as the Juke DIG-T model, but it’s been fettled to offer more than the stock engine’s 187bhp. Trouble is, even though its due on sale in the UK in a few months, Nissan still isn’t saying exactly what the Juke Nismo gets – but it should be around 200bhp.

Better Place EV Battery Swap business goes bust

It seemed like a good idea: take the cost of batteries out of the cost of buying an electric car and instead charge EV owners to use ‘Battery Swap’ stations where depleted batteries could be swapped for fully charged ones in the time it takes to fill an ICE car with petrol. But it’s all gone a bit Pete Tong. Better Place – which partnered with Renault in 2009 to make the battery swap technology viable – has failed to find anyone to add to the $750 million already involved in the project and has filed for bankruptcy.

One Lap of the Web: We missed April Fools'

-- Yesterday was April Fools' Day, a holiday known in some cultures as "April 1st." We chose to ignore the staid, unamusing fake press releases touting everything from Ford C-Max charcoal grilles to Audi sushi to BMW's annual efforts. ("The Ultimate Sleeping Machine" is what Web commenters will inevitably post in an effort to deride the upcoming 2-series.) But Petrolicious did a tasteful video of a certain moneyed purist's most prized vehicle, a car with all the panache, style, and passione that only its beautiful curves could convey. The folks at Petrolicious begged for a ride in this dangerously exciting speed machine, and by Jove, they got it.