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

GM plants solar field at Chevrolet Volt factory

Looking to put a charge in its eco-friendly image, General Motors is installing a 264,000-square-foot solar field at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant that builds the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid sedan. The solar field, being built in cooperation with utility DTE Energy, will generate 516 kilowatts. GM says that’s enough power to charge up 150 Volts every day for a year.

Land Rover Defender LXV celebrates 65 years of Land Rover

As part of the celebrations at Packington Estate – which was the original testing ground for the 1948 Defender prototypes – Land Rover are launching a celebratory Defender special edition – the Land Rover Defender LXV – based on the standard Defender and available in five different body styles and with the 2.2 litre diesel engine and 6-speed manual ’box. The Defender LXV gets the sort of toys no one could ever have envisaged on those early Defenders, including a Santorini Black or Fuji White paint job with Corris Grey roof, grille and headlight surrounds, full leather seats with orange contrast stitching, lots of ‘LXV’ badges and even the option of a Union flag on the back. John Edwards, LR’s Global Brand Director, said: Land Rover is celebrating 65 years of proud heritage.

Honda speeds up major changes to the Civic

Honda will bring out a significant mid-cycle change to its embattled Civic compact this fall, just 18 months after it launched, a high-ranking executive told dealers here. The move is a rush to improve the Civic in time for the 2013 model year. The Civic's cheapened interior and other reductions in content got a critical reviews from The Wall Street Journal, and Consumer Reports removed the model from its recommended list.