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

VW to intro Passat BlueMotion Concept at Detroit auto show

While performance heads are anxiously awaiting the North American debut of the hot-heat Mk VII Golf R at the Detroit auto show, Volkswagen's Passat BlueMotion Concept offers never-before technology in the Yank/Canuck family sedan segment: a four-pot motor with cylinder deactivation. Based on the EA211 1.4L turbo motor we sampled last year in the Euro-market Audi A3 sedan, the Passat BlueMotion Concept's engine is capable of shutting down the middle two cylinders during cruise, and features the Jetta Hybrid's gearbox, a twin-clutch unit capable of decoupling from the engine during off-throttle coasting. In the Passat's application, the 1.4 puts out 150 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque; VW suggests its highway fuel economy will stand at 42 mpg.

Porsche museum holds treasure trove of history

Ferdinand and Ferry Porsche shared one characteristic with other automotive icons such as Enzo Ferrari and E. L. Cord: a complete concentration on building the future and little interest in the past.

University of Huddersfield Degree Show 2010

The University of Huddersfield Transportation Design course recently exhibited the work of this year's graduating students as part of the School of Art and Design degree show. Huddersfield's course is very much a transportation – rather than purely automotive design-based degree – and the work of this year's graduating class therefore spans a broad range of projects, from automotive design, bikes and trains through to work that draws strongly from the world of product and interior design. Land Rover LRS-1 Paul Davey Research into the history of the Land Rover Defender, which included extensive research with owners old and new, led Davey down the route of defining a new entry-level model for the company.