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

Concept Car of the Week: Oldsmobile Aerotech (1987)

In late 1984, Oldsmobile management had so much confidence in the potential of its new inline four-cylinder engine Quad 4, that a small team was assigned to the creation of the Aerotech, a research vehicle designed to demonstrate the engine's performance by setting a new world speed record. Ed Welburn, then assistant chief designer, was mostly working on the 1988 Cutlass Supreme but his passion for race cars made him the ideal candidate to be handed the assignment by Oldsmobile 2 studio's chief David North. Inspired by Le Mans racers such as the Porsche 917LH and Jim Hall's Chaparrals, he designed a long, flowing car that immediately seduced design director Chuck Jordan and GM management.

Women are now the driving force in cars

WOMEN now account for more than half of all driving licence holders in the USA and the UK is set to follow this example by 2016. Younger women drivers are helping to boost the number of female driving licence holders around the world, but older women drivers are also growing in number. The number of males applying for a new driving licence has declined in the last three years, but the number of women applying for a driving licence has gone up by 2.5%.

Hispano Suiza V10 Supercharged (2010) at Geneva motor show

This is the Hispano Suiza V10 Supercharged, a coachbuilt version of the R8 V10 with a twin-supercharged engine. That’s because the Hispano Suiza has a completely new carbonfibre body, but you can’t ignore the power outputs either. Two electrically powered superchargers boost the 5.2-litre V10’s outputs from 518bhp and 391lb ft to 739bhp and 516lb ft.