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

Concept Car of the Week: Nissan ARC-X (1987)

In the mid to late 1980s Japan's car industry was booming and with it its confidence. No longer satisfied with producing brilliantly engineered but worthy cars, Japanese manufacturers had ambitions of taking on the Europeans in the luxury market. Nissan made its intentions clear at the 1987 Tokyo motor show with the ARC-X concept.

GM closes UK Advanced Design Studio

CDN has learnt that General Motors is closing its UK Advanced Design Studio as part of its ongoing restructuring program. Clay Dean, GM's executive director of advanced global design and Cadillac's brand director, arrived at the studio on 4 August to announce the closure to staff. The UK studio, which opened in 1999, was predominantly involved in the creation of Cadillac concept cars and was originally planned to be a short-term confidential operation as the smallest of GM's design studios.

Who's Where: Frank Stephenson appointed Director of Design for Alfa Romeo

Frank Stephenson began his new position as Director of Design at Alfa Romeo today, CDN can reveal. Stephenson left his role as Head of the Fiat, Lancia and Commercial Vehicle Styling Center last month and is now effectively filling a role that has been unoccupied since Wolfgang Egger left to become head of Audi's Style Center. Since Lorenzo Ramaciotti has been recently appointed to a newly created position as Cheif of Design at Fiat, Stephenson's previous position is now vacant.