Ford to open Silicon Valley lab

Ford Motor Co., aiming to keep ahead of technology trends, will establish a research lab in the heart of California's Silicon Valley. The automaker said Friday the lab will open near Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., in the first few months of this year. Ford wants the lab to take on a start-up feel and expand beyond the traditional automaker mindset to encourage innovation and improve mobility and safety.

Fioravanti Thalia concept

Fioravanti will be represented at the Geneva Motor Show by this, the Thalia, named after one of the three Graces of Greek mythology. The rear hump means a staggered silhouette, reflecting the rear seating which has been elevated to accommodate 'the most recent alternative energy technology.' Along with its unusual architecture, the sketch also shows a unique graphic break, with the dominant sweep and rear-biased mass reminding a little of the Mazda Senku concept. It will be interesting to see the model in Geneva.

Subaru BRZ Turbo to get 280bhp

The much hoped for Subaru BRZ Turbo – the Subaru version of the Toyota GT86 – is set to arrive in 2014 with 280bhp. Last year we reported that a Subaru BRZ Turbo was in the planning (even though the official line was that the BRZ and GT86 would stick with natural aspiration) and now it looks like development is well advanced and the BRZ Turbo will arrive in 2014. Automotive News are reporting that Subaru are working hard on a turbocharged direct injection version of the BRZ with a single twin-scroll turbo they’ve developed in-house, as opposed to the port injection system currently used in the BTZ, which is a Toyota system.