Sunstar Sprocket Front 19t 428 Steel Fits Yamaha Xt350 1985-2000 on 2040-parts.com

VW Group planning 10-speed DSG, new powerful diesel engine & more plug-in hybrids

The end of the internal combustion engine is nigh, they say, as the world tries to clean up its environmental act and works towards a goal of electric motors to power our personal transport. But car makers are fighting that belief by extracting more power for less fuel from ICE engines, and there’s still a very long way to go before the ICE engine is consigned to the history books. Volkswagen has already reduced the fuel consumption of both their diesel and petrol engines by 30 per cent since 2000 and plan a further reduction of 15 per cent by 2020.

Subaru XV Black Limited Edition: Costs from £24,495

The Subaru XV Black Limited Edition Subaru launched their XV SUV – basically a high-riding Crossover Impreza – back in 2012, and it was a decent offering. But by this summer they were looking to add a bit more fizz to sales and decided there was room to make substantial cuts in the list price of the XV, taking it down by a significant £2300 right across the range. Now, with prices cut back and the XV starting from £18,995, it seems Subaru has decided it’s time to shift some more expensive metal, so we’ve got the Subaru XV Black Limited Edition which adds more kit and style and starts at £24,495.

Toyota Hybrid-R Concept – a Yaris with 400bhp – teased for Frankfurt

The Toyota Hybrid-R Concept (pictured) is a 400bhp Yaris Hybrid heading for Frankfurt We’ve always believed that the best use for hybrid powertrains is to get extra performance without the penalty of increased fuel consumption. Toyota, on the other hand, have primarily used their impressive – if complicated and expensive – hybrid powertrains to yield improved economy and emissions from more prosaic cars like the Prius, Yaris and Auris. But now it looks like Toyota are ready to show us what hybrid technology can offer in the way of performance too, with a tease for what Toyota are calling the Hybrid-R Concept, which appears to be a Yaris with more than 400bhp on tap.