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

Professional designers create US icons of tomorrow on CCS' Cultural Immersion Workshop

This year's College of Creative Studies' Cultural Immersion Workshop saw 10 design professionals from Asia – seven of which had never been Stateside before – tour the Midwest on a cultural exploration mission as they sought to provide a fresh perspective on American car culture... in just 27 days. This trip provided the foundation for the innovative concepts that were unveiled at the college on 16 August.

Toyota Prius plug-in hits UK

The Toyota Prius plug-in arrives in the UK The next step in the Toyota Prius story is the plug-in Prius, which adds some Lithium-Ion batteries to the mix and the ability to plug the Prius in to the mains to get a usable kick-start to your day’s motoring, with an electric only range of up to 12.5 miles – around double the range a regular Prius can manage when fully charged. Toyota announced plans to get 500 Prius Plug-in Hybrids on the roads in 2010 back in September last year to evaluate their real-world performance before the plug-in gets a proper release – probably in 2012. Toyota are leasing 20 of the Prius plug-ins to a handful of public and private businesses in London as part of their plan to develop the Prius plug-in, and reduce the company’s overall CO2 levels – something which is sadly required by legislation.

Honda Jazz Si Limited Edition launched in the UK

Honda has revealed a limited edition Jazz for the UK – the Jazz Si – with sporty looks as standard. It’s a bit of a cliché, but Honda’s customer demographic, certainly in the UK, is generally past the first flush of youth. So we’re not sure if a limited edition ‘sporty’ Jazz – the Honda Jazz Si – is aimed at trendy wrinklies or whether Honda are hoping to appeal to their grandchildren, but whatever it is the UK gets a sporty limited edition Jazz offering in showrooms next month.