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

Top Indian cars fail crash safety tests

SEVERAL of India's most popular small cars have failed independent crash tests, a global car safety watchdog said. David Ward, head of the London car-safety watchdog Global NCAP, which performed the crash tests, said the car industry in India lacked adequate safeguards. Four of five small cars popular on the Indian market last year, including the famous Tata Nano, failed the crash tests.

Volvo gives T6 engine the Polestar treatment

Just weeks after announcing its Polestar performance kits for the T5-engined cars, Volvo is now offering packages for the XC60, S60 and XC70 models fitted with its turbocharged six-cylinder engine. The T6 Polestar software package adds 25 hp and 30 lb-ft of torque, bringing totals to 325 hp and 355 lb-ft, respectively. Volvo says the added power won't result in greater fuel consumption, as the tuning of the engine only increases power when needed--though we'd imagine most drivers will feel the need often enough to significantly affect mileage.

Chevrolet six-month global sales highest in a century

Chevrolet saw 2.35 million global sales in the first six months of 2011--its best first-half mark in 100 years. The automaker credits the success of new small-car models for much of the growth, namely the Cruze compact, the Spark minicar, the Aveo/Sonic small car and the Orlando MPV. Chevrolet sales increased 14 percent in the United States from the same half-year period in 2010, with 286,499 more units sold.