Competition Cams 15853-16 Short Travel Race Hydraulic Roller Lifter on 2040-parts.com

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 (2011) launch pics, video

McLaren has officially launched its MP4-12C GT3 racing car, announcing the driver line-up and racing schedule for 2011 after further track-testing in Europe. Hang on, McLaren launched the MP4-12C GT3 at Silverstone, didn’t it? Readers will recall our earlier story on the MP4-12C GT3, but that was the track-test debut. Got it?

Driven: BMW i8

When BMW unveiled the Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, we wrote: "for our money, it's the first time a major carmaker has really attempted to communicate ‘green' technology in an aesthetic sense." Fast-forward five years and we've swapped the show halls of the IAA for a beauty spot on the north-west coast of Scotland. And, while the car's name has changed to i8, our sentiment towards this genre- and era-defining car remains. Admittedly the production car's design execution hasn't received the universal praise of its concept forebears, but, on a remote outpost of the British Isles, a Protonic Blue i8 couldn't look more exotic.

Skoda Yeti and Superb join Skoda’s eco range

Skoda has added eco-variants of the Yeti and Superb during the launch of its second-generation ‘GreenLine’ range at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The badge now covers the entire Skoda range, employing just two direct-injection, common-rail turbo diesel four-pots across all eight models, both of which are used in VW’s BlueMotion cars. It’s the 75bhp 1.2-litre engine for the Fabia and Roomster, while the Octavia, Yeti and Superb get the 105bhp 1.6-litre unit.