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

CCS students design tomorrow's headlights

The College of Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit teamed up with Visteon and Osram to give 18 CCS seniors an opportunity to create new automotive lighting designs using the latest technology. CCS has been partnering with Visteon since 2002 and with Osram since 2010. The trio gave students a chance at hands-on design experience under the guidance of designers and engineers from Visteon and Osram as a class during the 2011 fall semester.

2012 Volvo S60 & XC60 R-Design get more oomph

Volvo V60 R-Design - finally, more get up and go We’re quite partial to the Volvo S60 (actually, we’re even more partial to the Volvo V60) and we like how Volvo’s R-Design pack makes a real impact without making the car look like a boy racer’s wet dream. What’s also nice – in this age of parsimony – is that even if you opt for a lowly diesel version you can still have a Volvo that looks like it gets there in a hurry, even if it doesn’t. But our preference is always for a bit more power, especially if all the visual cues make you smile in anticipation, so we have been know to bemoan the lack of any sort of power boost – even as an add-on option – on Volvo’s R-Design cars.

Ford recalls trucks to fix fuel-tank straps

Ford is recalling 1.1 million pickups to fix fuel-tank straps that can corrode and possibly break. The recall covers 1997-2003 Ford F-150s, F-250s and the Lincoln Blackwood pickup. The fuel-tank straps could corrode over time, leading to failure and the tank dropping to the pavement.