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

Festival of the Unexceptional: the bad cars we love

Ever been to a classic car show and noticed how many old MGBs and sports cars of yesteryear have turned up, driven by their proud owners, but wondered what happened to all the more mainstream stuff? There are twice as many Ferrari 308 GTBs on the roads in the UK than Austin Allegros, because the everyday cars of the past fail MOTs, get chucked away and replaced with shiny new hatchbacks. Fortunately, there is a select group of people in the UK who care for the mundane stuff of yesterday and, because of this, a new event for “unexceptional” cars will be taking place this summer.

Rolls-Royce gets Personal at 2010 Paris show

Cars like the Fiat 500 and Mini may be available with pick ’n mix customisation options, but those are mere bolt-on Mr Potatohead additions compared to the kaleidoscopic wizardry available to Roller owners. Showcasing its ‘personalization programme’ (personalization with a ‘z’ for the Americans, programme with an ‘mme’ for us stick-in-the-muds) at the 2010 Paris motor show, Rolls-Royce has served up five bespoke examples of its current range. Heavens, no.

Audi Q7 gets a facelift

But it’s been three years since we were first introduced to the Q7 (at the Los Angeles Motor Show in 2006) so Audi has decided the Q7 needed a little facelift. There have been a few spy shots around recently showing a slightly changed Q7, so we knew it was coming. But, like all the best facelifts, it’s barely perceptible.