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

Driven: Mazda RX-8

The two most obvious elements of its unusual make-up are its rotary engine and rear-hinged rear doors with integral B-pillars. What became clear during our week with the RX-8 was how these two aspects of its design form the basis of many other unique qualities... Sports coupe and GT coupe The rotary engine of the RX-8 has a very distinct power delivery that is a defining part of the car's character, but it is also a very small lump of metal compared to a similarly powerful conventional reciprocating piston engine, enabling more of the car's overall length to be devoted to cabin space.

BMW i3 caught testing in New York

BMW has been hyping its futuristic i lineup for years now, but the long lead time doesn't mean that the highly efficient, carbon-fiber-based vehicles are vaporware. Earlier this month, we test drove pre-production versions of the i3 and i8, and last week, Autoweek reader Frank Cogliano spied the former vehicle on the road. Cogliano caught this wrapped i3 near Stony Point, New York -- about 30 minutes from BMW's New Jersey headquarters.

Concept Car of the Week: Chevrolet Astro (1967)

It gave its name to a boxy van in the 80s, but the Chevrolet Astro I was one of the most exciting dream cars developed within the GM styling studio. Presented in New York Auto Show in 1967, it was the first of three Astro concepts shown in annual succession and illustrates GM's desire to develop models that were both aerodynamic and attractive. What we might take for granted in aerodynamics nowadays was almost untouched territory in the mid ‘60s.