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

Toyota to close Australian design studio

Toyota designers at its Technical Center Asia Pacific Australia (TTCAP-AU) are to lose their jobs as part of Toyota's decision to scale back the facility's activities as well as halting all manufacturing within the country by 2017. The TTCAP-AU, which carries out all its Australian design and evaluation operations, employs 150 designers and modelers and it's possible that its activities with the Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion models could be scrapped, raising doubts over its future. Around 2,500 employees at Toyota's Altona manufacturing plant are expected to lose their jobs, although the effects are likely to be wider ranging.

Volkswagen e-Up makes some noise

NOW HERE’S a left-field solution to the problem of silent electric cars going unnoticed by pedestrians in town. Volkswagen has taken its new e-Up electric city car to Stockholm, fitted with hidden speakers, a microphone and a beatbox artist, Fatih Sahin, on the rear bench seat. And they filmed it.

Mercedes A Class production outsourced

Mercedes is outsourcing some new A Class production as orders continue to flood in for Mercedes’ new compact car. Last week we had the news that Mercedes will be building new A Class compact SUV – the Mercedes GLA – at the Mercedes plant in Rastatt as production of the A Class kicked off. But despite the new A Class being built at both Rastatt and the Mercedes plant in Kecskemet, Hungary, Mercedes don’t have enough capacity for the volume of order flooding in for the new A Class – over 40,000 since it went on sale just over a month ago.