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

Carbon-fiber parts and a software fix help create a lighter, faster Fiat

Chrysler Group's Mopar parts brand and Italian supplier Magneti Marelli have teamed up on a design exercise based on the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth that shaved weight and added horsepower. The vehicle, called the Venom, has a number of carbon fiber components -- hood and side mirrors, for example -- that makes it about 200 pounds lighter than the 2,512-pound Abarth. The Venom uses software updates and additional exhaust components to boost the Abarth's standard 160-hp 1.4-liter turbocharged engine's output by as much as 25 percent.

Alfa Romeo MiTo Review (2012): Quadrifoglio Verde (Cloverleaf)

We have the range-topping Alfa Romeo MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde (Cloverleaf) in for a week for review and test. The Alfa Romeo MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde (or Alfa MiTo Cloverleaf to us linguistically challenged Brits) is Alfa’s efforts at a proper little hot hatch and gets the very good 170bhp 1.4 litre MultiAir engine under the bonnet, offering real performance promise. The MiTo is a bit of a Marmite car in the looks department with its small car take on an 8C nose.

Interior Motives China Conference 2014 – Day 1

The seventh edition of the Interior Motive's China Conference has just taken place in Beijing, ahead of the world's most important motor show and in the world's largest car market. The theme of this year's event, ‘Mobilising the new urban landscape' is extremely pertinent to anyone who has experienced the city's congestion and its air quality. During the event's two days, the presenters explored our future relationship with the automobile, from increasing levels of autonomous drive in our cars, to the varied definitions of the word luxury, and how that impacts on customer expectations right across the globe.