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

Plans for Smart’s three-seat sports car uncovered in patent drawings

Mercedes-Benz is developing a three-seat sports car for Smart. Depicted here in a series of European patent-application sketches obtained by AutoWeek, the radical new sports car forms part of an extended range of new Smart models planned for introduction by the middle of the next decade, including a more conventional four-seater to be produced in cooperation with Renault. Mercedes-Benz is reacting to increased competition from Toyota in the form of the iQ and the impending arrival of similar urban-based offerings from premium-brand rivals Audi and BMW.

Rolls Royce Ghost Series II – the Ghost facelift: Geneva Motor Show

The Rolls Royce Ghost Series II (pictured) debuted at Geneva When Rolls Royce gives one of their cars a rare facelift it becomes the ‘Series II’, and that’s exactly what we get at Geneva today with the reveal of the facelift for the Ghost – the Rolls Royce Ghost Series II. Perhaps the most noticeable cosmetic change is the new headlights which make the front look less square and get daytime running lights round the edge,a revised RR grill with slightly more curved uprights, revised bumpers, extra chrome highlights and a new channel running up the bonnet from the Spirit of Ecstacy. Inside, Rolls Royce has added new electric seats in the back which can be angled towards one another, new voice control,  and a new touch-sensitive controller for the 102″ Infotainment screen. Extra choices of veneer are now on offer as is even more extended leather.

Car makers to be forced to disclaim ‘Official’ economy figures

We’ve banged on for a long time about the futility of official economy figures, especially as car makers get better and better at ‘gaming’ the official economy tests to produce the results they want. Much of the impetus to create the best headline economy figure for a car is driven by taxation, with car makers well aware that the better the official economy results are, the lower their CO2 will be (CO2 isn’t tested for – it’s just extrapolated from the official mpg) and the more appealing the car will be to buyers, particularly fleet buyers. But a ruling by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) against Audi could at least see car makers having to admit in their adverts that the ‘official’ economy figure bears no relation to what owners can expect to achieve in the real world.