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

Show Review: 100% Design 2005

London has recently hosted 100% Design, the city's response to the Milan Furniture Show that currently dominates the product design calendar. Just as the Italians have spread their show over the city, Londoners have begun to do the same, introducing 100% East in the arty East End, and using more floorspace at Earls Court, the exhibition centre that formerly hosted the British Motor Show. 100% Design is complemented at Earls Court by 100% Detail and 100% Material.

Vauxhall Vectra renamed as Insignia

By Motor Industry 03 December 2007 09:46 Vauxhall has renamed its Vectra replacement, and like we all thought, it's going to be called Insignia. According to Vauxhall the Insignia name represents 'a new name for a new era', and we'll see if Vauxhall is telling the truth when the covers come off the new car at the British Motor Show in July 2008. It's a big claim for Vauxhall, but the teaser shot (above right) shows that at least Vauxhall seems to have gotten the design of the Insignia right.

Call for reform over road repair funding

FUNDING patterns mean most road maintenance is being carried out in "less-efficient, cold and wet" times, a report from a Government spending watchdog has said. The current pattern of funding, combined with the need to spend money within the financial year, means that most maintenance work goes on between September and March, said the report from the National Audit Office (NAO). It went on: "Although this is less disruptive for road users, it is less efficient than carrying out the work at other times of year because materials can be more difficult to handle in cold and wet conditions, and daylight hours are shorter." The report went on: "As a result of the additional funding for emergency repairs, which is made available at the end of the financial year, almost all highways authorities need extra capacity from the market at the same time, which makes it less likely that they will get value for money." The NAO report said there was a "lack of predictability" over road spending adding that historically, local highway authorities spent more revenue on maintenance, but were now carrying out fewer routine activities such as clearing gullies which are essential to preventing water seeping into roads' sub-structure.