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

Volvo V40 Cross Country & V40 R-Design: Paris 2012

Volvo has revealed the V40 Cross Country and V40 R-Design at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, and both are convincing. The sporty take on the new V40 is the V40 R-design, a cosmetic update for the already good-looking V40 that manages to bolt on go-faster bits without wrecking the good lines of the normal V40. We would like to have seen the Volvo V40 R-Design get the sports suspension as standard, but Volvo obviously feel that most R-Design buyers want the looks rather than the more dynamic ride the sports suspension offers, so it stays as an option. And as the R-Design option is available across the new V40 range – from the D2 to the T4 – it’s probably the right decision.

2010 Devon GTX shown at Pebble Beach concours

The 2010 Devon GTX, a 650-hp supercar from California design house Devon Motorworks, was shown Saturday at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The speed demon will cost $500,000 and go on sale in the first quarter of next year. Just 36 cars will be produced per year by the company.

Google hopeful over driverless car

GOOGLE says it has turned a corner in its pursuit of a car that can drive itself. The leader of the technology giant's driverless car project wrote in a blog post that test vehicles are becoming far more adept at city driving. They can already comfortably handle motorways, he said, but city driving presents a virtual obstacle course of pedestrians, cyclists and blind corners.