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

Mazda 3 five-door (2008): the first photos

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 25 November 2008 09:43 Mazda has issued five photographs of its new 3 hatchback ahead of its debut at next week's Bologna motor show. The five-door, announced today, follows hot on the heels of the Mazda 3 four-door saloon unveiled at last week's 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.Few firm details have been released today, but Mazda claims the engines will be more efficient, the kerbweight lighter and 'the world's first catalyst to be constructed using single nanotechnology.' Apparently this cat uses significantly fewer rare materials such as platinum and palladium than regular filters.The new 3 will have a new range-topping 2.2-litre turbodiesel, developing 183bhp or 148bhp. Both are EU5 compliant and are cleaner and more powerful than the current 2.0 TD.

Volkswagen XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV) spy video

Volkswagen XL1 caught on video The Volkswagen XL1 – a super efficient diesel hybrid – caught on video winter testing and undisguised. The VW XL1 arrived at the Qatar Motor Show in 2011, a two-seater diesel-electric hybrid with a design that looks like it came from a 1920s view of the future, and claims of a gazillion miles to the gallon. At the time VW debuted the XL1 we reckoned there was as much chance of it going in to production as McLaren’s latest Formula One car making it in to a showroom, and that the XL1 was just a test bed for all the future tech that might just find its way in to Volkswagen’s road cars.

Reliant Robin now a classic vehicle

THE RELIANT ROBIN, a vehicle popularised by Del Boy Trotter in the Only Fools And Horses TV show, is now classed as a classic vehicle thanks to changes in the Budget. Chancellor George Osborne announced that a rolling 40-year vehicle excise duty (VED) for classic cars will come in on April 1 this year. Until now, only cars built before January 1 1973 were exempt from VED.