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

Pioneer App Radio officially unveiled

Pioneer has officially unveiled the App Radio that AutoWeek told you about earlier this month. Now that it's willing to talk, Pioneer claims that the radio and audio system is "the first in-vehicle product designed to utilize the processing power, storage capacity, network connectivity and apps of the iPhone and iPod Touch as the primary source for its information and entertainment capabilities." That does sound a lot like what Mini Connected and, in a more platform-agnostic sense, Ford Sync are doing. Pioneer said it couldn't speak to the similarity of those systems, but Ted Cardenas, director of marketing for Pioneer's car-electronics division, briefed us on installation of the device and what Pioneer is doing to minimize driver distraction.

Car Design of the Year 2009

Last chance to vote for your favorite concept and production design of 2009! While 2009 will most certainly be remembered as a gloom riddled year - with the automotive industry stricken by the economic downturn and a slew of cutbacks - we encourage you to remember the few gems that graced the auto show circuit. So what was your favorite car design from 2009?

New McLaren F1 – rendered

A modern rendering of the McLaren F1 created by Matt Williams Many thought the 12C was a bit too generic. Almost a morphing of supercar styling from other makers. But in many ways that could be its long-term strength.