1975-76 Firebird 250cu. V6 Air Management Valve Nos on 2040-parts.com

Video: Rendering a Le Mans racer using layer masks and pixel locking in Photoshop

Local Motors' designer and community manager Aurel Francois has made this short video explaining how he created his 'Alpine A444' render for the Le Mans Themed Sketchwall Challenge. His side view may be simple in terms of perspective but by using layer masks and pixel locking in Photoshop, the blue race car soon comes to life. Worth a watch of you're looking to get to grips with computer rendering techniques.

Euro Car Parts sold for £225 million

Euro Car Parts Sold for £225 million There was a time, a very long time ago, where Euro Car Parts was an almost hidden secret, supplying manufacturer standard parts for higher end cars at prices that were much more affordable. The key to Euro Car Parts success was supplying parts which seemed to be sourced from the same suppliers as the car maker itself, but sold without the same huge margins. This writer was an avid fan of Euro Car Parts as a struggling young dad with a penchant for cars he couldn’t really afford; Euro Car Parts – and weekends with a toolbox and oily hands – kept a succession of luxury and performance cars on the road on a shoestring, but without compromising quality.

Hyundai i20

Hyundai's second-generation i20, designed at Hyundai Motor's Design Center Europe in Rüsselsheim, Germany, is the first to feature the firm's new small-car platform. Hyundai claims this allows sufficient flexibility to make the (as-yet unrevealed) interior the most spacious in its class. As for the exterior, the distinction between what is a Kia and what's a Hyundai becomes ever-more blurred.