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

Daimler and Renault-Nissan strike a global partnership

Daimler today struck a wide-ranging partnership with the Renault-Nissan alliance, in a deal that will usher in new jointly developed cars, shared technologies and a multitude of cost savings.  Cars such as the new 2014 Smart Fortwo will now be twinned with the next Renault Twingo, while the Forfour is set for a comeback and we can expect plenty of shared combustion engines and electric motors, borrowed platforms and jointly developed SUV tech across all three parties. And that's only scratching the surface of the possibilities opened up by this wide-ranging deal.

Mitsubishi readies Outlander plug-in hybrid (2012)

Mitsubishi is set to pull the wraps off the plug-in hybrid version of its Outlander SUV at the 2012 Paris motor show. As CAR previously reported back in February, Mitsubishi is continuing its commitment to electrify its range, with the Outlander PHEV incorporating lesson's learned from the brand's fully electric iMiEV city car. Hang on.

Avoiding the California Highway Patrol on the Autoweek America Adventure

"Damn revenuers," said Tommy Kendall. "They are draped all along the side of the road." He spoke, of course, about the California Highway Patrol, whose strategically positioned cars--and subsequent laser-detection devices and KA-band radar--were lighting up this two-lane south of Klamath Falls, Ore., less than two miles inside the state line. It's a fact of economics, especially in California, a state that's running out of money faster than Greece.