Lt1 Edelbrock Air Gap Intake Manifold on 2040-parts.com

Honda Civic

Honda has released the first images of its new Civic ahead of its launch today at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. The Civic's flowing exterior design is said to have been inspired by the ‘blended wing body' airplane, in which the wings and fuselage blend into one entity for improved performance. The designers have kept the sporty and advanced elements of the car's character but have adapted them to emphasize the dynamism of the new Civic.

Aston Martin One-77 Nurburgring Spy Video

The Aston Martin One-77 gets a run at the Nurburgring - Video below For real car lovers the ‘Eco’ push in recent years has left us a little perplexed. Perplexed and confused as we try to come to terms with the joys of a turbo diesel (and there are joys, much to my surprise) and the loss of big V10 and V12 engines in production cars. Thankfully, there are still enough wealthy people in the world who don’t give a fig about the opinions of the eco-mentalists and who are inclined to buy the best that car makers can produce, regardless of eco-sensibilities. Which is why we can still glory in motoring delights like the Aston Martin One-77 even if its £1.2 million price tags is beyond the reach of most.

Volvo V40 teased again ahead of Geneva [w/video]

Volvo has released an unusual cartoon teaser video for its new five-door V40, together with an additional image. The animated video features a flock of birds perching on power lines before all but one fly off. Being left on its own to dance on the lines, before fading to black with the words 'Be One of a Kind' appearing before advertising the car's imminent arrival.  Meanwhile the image (left), showing the car in silhouette, gives little away about the design, unlike Volvo's first sneak peek (right), released in December last year.