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

Chevrolet six-month global sales highest in a century

Chevrolet saw 2.35 million global sales in the first six months of 2011--its best first-half mark in 100 years. The automaker credits the success of new small-car models for much of the growth, namely the Cruze compact, the Spark minicar, the Aveo/Sonic small car and the Orlando MPV. Chevrolet sales increased 14 percent in the United States from the same half-year period in 2010, with 286,499 more units sold.

Peugeot 308

Despite the continuation of the nameplate – unique in the company's recent history – this Peugeot 308 is an all-new competitor in the European C-segment hatchback market. The new 308 sits on PSA's new EMP2 modular platform, which will underpin future Peugeot and Citroën C- and D-segment cars in much the same way as the VW Group's MQB chassis. The upshot for the designers is its flexibility, specifically in terms of proportions.

Concept Car of the Week: Italdesign Columbus (1992)

Following the success of large MPVs such as the Renault Espace and Chrysler Voyager, the idea of adding luxury to the already spacious interior seemed like a natural step forward in the early nineties. A few would remember the De la Chapelle Parcours, a sort of hyper-luxurious Espace powered by a 326bhp V8 from Mercedes. However, they only sold one.