Yamaha Yfz450 Yfz 450 Frame Chassis Yfz 450 #121 2005 * on 2040-parts.com

Audi S7 Spied

Audi S7 caught out playing We got the launch of the Audi A7 in July and here we are – just a couple of months on – expecting the Audi S7 to surface at the Paris Motor Show next week. And just in time we’ve got a spy shot of the hot S7 out playing and looking pretty much production-ready; as it should if it’s going to bow in next week. It seems clear this is not an A7 with an S-Line pack as it’s sporting a pair of twin exhausts out back which, as far as we can recall, don’t appear on any A7.

GM bets on new four-cylinder family in Europe; U.S. plans unclear

General Motors' European subsidiary, Opel, has revealed a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder direct-injection gasoline engine that will be offered from early 2013 across its lineup, starting with the soon-to-be-revealed Astra-based Cascada convertible. The aluminum block unit, the first in a new range of so-called SIDI (spark ignition direct injection) ECOTEC engines, forms the centerpiece of the company's downsizing strategy for displacement. The engine is claimed to have improved torque characteristics and a significant reduction in consumption compared with its predecessor.

McLaren MP4-12C gets 616 bhp

The McLaren MP4-12C is about to get some upgrades – including an extra 25bhp – which will also be offered to existing owners free of charge. On balance, what McLaren has achieved with the MP4-12C is nothing short of remarkable. Yes, there have been a few glitches along the way, but in truth they have been little more than the sort of hiccups almost any new supercar suffers as it escapes in to the wild and has to deal with the real world and real drivers.