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

Beattie joins Fisker as prices climb

Fisker Automotive, maker of the luxury hybrid Fisker Karma, has appointed luxury-brands executive Richard Beattie to the newly created position of chief commercial officer. Beattie will be responsible for sales, marketing and customer service for the brand. Beattie comes from a strong run as executive vice president of sales and marketing for Jaguar North America and, before that, for Jaguar Land Rover North America, positions which followed a career at Ford, where he was most recently president and CEO of Mazda’s North American operations.

E85 makes inroads on cost and availability

Three years ago, we embarked on a Midwest road trip in search of what was then the Holy Grail of fuel: E85. Our findings weren't too positive--there were far more E85-compatible vehicles on the road in 2006 (5 million) than there were E85 pumps to fuel them (about 700 out of some 200,000 fuel stations nationwide). In addition, those burning the mix of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol were paying a pretty penny for their earth-friendly ways, losing about 15 percent in fuel economy while often paying the same price as regular unleaded.

Mini Paceman

Mini has presented its latest model, the Paceman, as it ventures into a new vehicle class. Appearing – almost to the millimeter, bar colour and trim detailing – to be the Paceman concept seen at NAIAS 2011 in Detroit, the Paceman Sports Activity Coupe features many traditional Mini design cues. Where it moves away from them, it is in keeping the new-style squared off front lamps of the Countryman (with which it shares a front end up to the base of the windscreen) and a roofline which tapers down much more than we've seen in any previous ‘new' Mini before.