Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Chris Bangle, Peter Stevens and Tom Matano speak out about Google's driverless car

Google's driverless car technology took a major step on 27 May. The tech firm unveiled its self-designed autonomous car prototype, which will supplement the fleet of modified Toyota Prius and Lexus RX SUVs that have been used thus far. But what do some of the best-know car designers think of Google's foray into the automotive world?

Designing the sound of tomorrow's electric cars

By 2019, the European parliament has ordered that all new electric cars sold in the EU must be fitted with a device that emits noise to make them more audible to pedestrians. With safety legislation in America and elsewhere set to follow, this presents an opportunity to completely rethink the sound electric cars make. It's a chance to take it beyond a warning sound by considering something that harmonizes with its surroundings.

Bentley SUV to get W12 engine

The Bentley SUV will get a W12 engine option Back in July we had the talkative Bentley boss Wolfgang Dürheimer musing that Bentley will produce the ultimate luxury SUV, with plans to take the underpinnings from sister company Porsche’s Cayenne and make the most opulent SUV on the planet. The plan for a Bentley SUV has been around for a while, but the perception by car makers that big SUVs were unpalatable to the general public in these eco-obsessed times meant plans by many car makers to build an SUV were left to gather dust on the shelves. But those car makers who chose to ignore the brickbats directed at big SUVs have proved that there is big demand for luxury monsters (the Cayenne has turned in to Porsche’s biggest cash cow) and that the anti-SUV lobby was simply a very small bunch of eco-mentalists making headlines.