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

Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series gets a price. And it’s a big number starting with ’2′

Mercedes has come up with a price for the SLS AMG Black Series in Germany where it will cost a quite large €249,000. We always knew that the Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series would become a reality, if for no other reason than not having a Black Series of the most potent AMG car in existence would be daft. But it took Mercedes until the Autumn of 2011 to actually confirm they were going to build the SLS Black, and until November 2012 to actually reveal the SLS Black as a hardcore version of the already fairly hardcore SLS.

BMW takes the Active Tourer Outdoor outdoors this weekend

This weekend BMW will be taking its BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor to the annual OutDoor fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany. We first saw the concept last September, noting that it was a departure for BMW in more ways than one -- with the German automaker stretching itself into segments in which it previously had no foothold. The BMW Active Tourer is meant to preview a whole new generation of small cars from BMW, but one of the biggest changes underneath is a transverse layout of the engine -- a setup that BMW has traditionally shunned in favor of a longitudinal layout.

Future products: Kia seeks lively, upscale look

Kia's redesigned Optima sedan and the Cadenza replacement for the Amanti, both due next year, reflect an emphasis on creating a livelier and more upscale look for the once-bland brand. Indeed, styling has been a crucial element of Kia's new-product push in the past 18 months. The team at Kia Design Center America near Los Angeles--part of the automaker's global design network led by onetime Audi design chief Peter Schreyer--has helped set the new styling direction.