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

Apple Carplay vs Android: the smartphone hits the road

By Damion Smy Motor Industry 11 June 2014 07:18 The days of frustrating in-car interfaces and clunky touchscreens are ending, as computing giants Apple and Google start unleashing the full power of smartphone technology in your car.  Apple has fired the opening salvo in the war on wheels with its ‘CarPlay’ system launched at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show and offered by Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo, and at least 15 other car brands. If you own an iPhone, you’ll find CarPlay natural and intuitive – it’s this type of familiarity that car companies and Apple are banking on to win you over. Cars have been able to play your iTunes library and read texts for a while, but CarPlay takes this functionality to a whole new level.

New-look Interior Motives Winter 2013/14 issue out now

The winter edition of Car Design News' quarterly interior design publication, Interior Motives magazine, is out now sporting more pages and a brand-new layout designed to put the exclusive sketches, development images and high-quality photographs that accompany each story in their best possible light. As ever, the issue features in-depth design development articles on the most interesting and important concept and production vehicles launched in recent months. But the revamped magazine's larger format and more sophisticated layout explore their design with a level of detail and glamour never seen before in publishing.

Mazda MX-5 gets a spruce up

The Mazda MX-5 is one of our favourite fun cars. It evokes all the joy of the cracking little British Roadsters of the past, like Austin Healeys, Triumph TRs, Lotus Elans and even older Morgans and XK Jags. It does it by being simple, efficient and fun to drive.