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

Brian Wilson on the Beach Boys' car songs

Brian Wilson, the musical giant behind so much of the Beach Boys great music, sang at the Petersen gala in Los Angeles last week, and there were plenty of songs about cars and drag racing in the mix. "We're going to do a series of car songs because this place has a lot of cars," Wilson announced before leading his 10-piece band into "Little Deuce Coupe," "409," "All Summer Long" and "Shut Down." The band played to a packed house at the museum's annual fundraiser. Wilson's set was surely the most entertaining in the Petersen's 15 years of fundraising galas.

Why the Subaru WRX STi is making a UK comeback

After a short hiatus, the Subaru WRX STi (once known as the Impreza) is coming back to the UK. The re-introduction was confirmed at the new car’s unveiling at the 2014 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit – and it’s great news for us Brits. When the Subaru WRX STi goes on sale in the UK later this year it will cost £28,995 – that’s a whopping £4,000 less than its predecessor.

Designer insights: highlights of Auto Design Prague 2014

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, might not seem the most obvious choice for an automotive design conference. But when one considers the country's history of innovation in the arts and architecture, its long-lived automotive marques like Tatra and Skoda, and Prague's central location in Europe, it makes perfect sense. Conference speakers included the program design director for Citroën DS, Ivo Groen; Volvo vice president of design Thomas Ingenlath; Jaguar advanced design director, Julian Thomson; Gert Hildebrand, head of design for Qoros; and Johann Lemercier, program manager at Ferrari design.