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

Behind The Scenes: Hot Wheels Design Studio [w/Video]

Hot Wheels' vice president of design Felix Holst has spent some time chatting to Cool Hunting about the brand's design philosophy at its Design Studio at Mattel's headquarters in El Segundo, California, in a new video. According to Holst Hot Wheels has evolved from being focused on muscle cars and V8 engines to being all about technology as a reflection of the new generation they're designing for.  He explains the benefits of designing over 240 vehicles a year that aren't limited by rules and regulations, saying in a studio that's driven by pushing the boundaries, it's a question of just how wild they can get.  The video really captures not only the men's passion for their jobs but the fun they have doing it. Small wonder Holst says he'd never go back to car design, and reveals the studio is packed with qualified car designers who chose Hot Wheels over conventional jobs in the industry.  We also hear from Hot Wheels Car Maker's designer Julian Payne, who explains how the new Car Maker – which gives you the chance to mold your own custom Hot Wheels at home – works.

Citroen DS3 Racing concept car (2010) first pictures

This is Citroen taking a swipe at the Mini Cooper S Works – and giving us a hint at what Sebastian Leob will be driving in next year’s WRC. The DS3 Racing is a pumped up version of the new C3-based premium supermini and just 1000 will be finished at the workshops of Citroen Racing, the team behind 11 rally championship titles. Based on the production 1.6 THP, the Racing version gets tweaks to the turbo, exhaust and engine management system to boost power from 148bhp to 197bhp and add 26lb ft of twist for a 203lb ft total.

BMW 3-series (2012): our comprehensive guide to F30

BMW has sold 12 million 3-series models since 1975; it’s an important car, one that accounts for a third of global BMW sales. The sixth-generation, codenamed F30, has a lot to live up to, then. Here are the key changes: Chassis The F30 is still, of course, rear-wheel drive, has 50:50 weight distribution, and sticks with the MacPherson strut front/multi-link rear suspension layout of its predecessors rather than following the double-wishbone front suspension employed by the new F10 5-series.