Vacuum Valve 52-0164-00-00 on 2040-parts.com

Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez on the Mercedes tie-up, the rise of turbo cars and the end of the Lagonda SUV project

MSN Cars is in Palm Springs, California, to drive the new Aston Martin Vanquish Volante and V12 Vantage S. Aston Martin, voted the second coolest brand in the world behind Apple, is celebrating its 100th year. Over an informal dinner, MSN Cars was given an exclusive chance to talk shop with Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez to see what the future holds for the Gaydon-based company.

Is this supercharged V8 destined for the Corvette ZR1?

This is a big week for spy shots, and apparently a friend of a friend of a “friend” snapped this little ditty of what could be the motor of the next Z06, or ZR1. Corvette Online nabbed the shot of a supercharged LT1-looking V8 mill; they cite the injector cover shape and the throttle body. The site also noted the twin-rotor supercharger with an LSA/LS9-style pulley on the front.

Honda Insight Mk2: photo of production hybrid car

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 03 December 2008 14:00 Honda issued this solitary photograph of the new Insight hybrid car today – revealing the battery-powered vehicle in production spec. This is a bit of a mini landmark in green fuels technology: the Insight Mk2 will become at a stroke the world’s cheapest hybrid car. Sales begin in spring 2009 and CAR understands that Honda is working on a £14,995 price tag, substantially undercutting today’s hybrids.