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

Chevrolet Volt visits the wind tunnel

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 13 December 2007 10:00 Back in January the Volt was easily the surprise of this year’s Detroit motor show. Chevrolet reckoned its radical electric four-seater was such a breakthrough that it would transform the way we drive when it arrived in showrooms by the end of the decade. And it’s just announced that the production model will be significantly more efficient at scything through the air: the Volt has been sent to GM’s wind tunnel where Chevrolet’s aerodynamicists has smoothed off some of its blunt surfaces to create a shape that is 30 percent more effective at cutting cleanly through the air at speed than the original concept.

Nissan Versa Note (2014) [w/Gallery]

Nissan has unveiled its 2014 Versa Note at the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). The new design aims to improve fuel economy through improved aerodynamics and has a drag coefficient of 0.298, achieved with the aid of Nissan's first Active Grille Shutter. The Versa Note, which uses the carmaker's global ‘V' platform, sits on a long wheelbase of 2,600mm and has short front and rear overhangs.

One Lap of the Web: Bugatti state of mind

-- Last week, we looked at the new Bugatti exhibit at the Mullin Museum, which taught us more about Bugatti in an afternoon than the last three years of idly flipping through Pebble Beach programs. Having thus immersed ourselves in the House That Ettore Built, we'd really like to drive to work in a faithful Type 35 replica by the aptly named Pur Sang, which Mark Dixon of Octane drove for his 140-mile commute. "You need to keep the revs up while the engine clears its throat and warms its plugs," he writes.