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

Audi S1 at Paris

The Audi S1 will have a Paris Launch (A1 Wörthersee Concept pictured) It’s getting on for a year since we reported that – despite some saying it wouldn’t happen – Audi were planning at least a warm version of the A1 and had on the drawing board the Audi S1 to take on the MINI Cooper. So it’s not a shock that we hear Audi are planning on bring the S1 along to Paris for a reveal before getting the S1 on the roads by the second quarter of 2011. Expect the usual Audi S bits in the mix  - bigger wheels, fettled suspension, beefed-up brakes, body kit – and power in the S1 to come from the S/C turbo 1.4 TSI found in the VW Polo GTI, although the S1 may just get a tweaked version of the engine as befits its higher standing in the VW hierarchy with a bit more than the 178 horses the Polo GTI manages.

One Lap of the Web: Wax that woody; Bentley gets high-tech

-- Bentley comes striding into the 21st century with a Mulsanne souped up with no fewer than two keyboard-equipped iPads in the backseat, hidden behind veneered wood inlays. In a short film titled "Intelligent Details" -- one must assume Bentley marketers had to resist the urge to call it "Intelligent Design" -- Luc Donckerwolke, director of design, and Sang Yup Lee, head of exterior design, go for a ride in black-and-white Manhattan. Naturally, they are not driving.

Hyundai moving beyond 'value' brand reputation

Hyundai's U.S. boss says the brand is changing from a "value" brand into a "valuable" brand. John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, said the brand is quickly shedding its roots as a purveyor of new cars for used-car prices and becoming a major player in the global industry.