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

Rolls Royce RR4 spotted

Rolls Royce RR4 (Rolls Royce Ghost?) caught testing before its unveiling at Geneva [ad#ad-1] This is a busy time for testers of upcoming cars in chilly climes. We’ve recently seen the next generation Porsche 911 (998) and Boxster out in the snow, and this time it’s the turn of the new ‘Baby’ Rolls Royce, the RR4. The new Rolls Royce (which is codenamed RR4 internally, but could well be the Rolls Royce Ghost) is based on the underpinnings of the latest BMW 7 series.

Audi plays paintball with RS4 Avants

The latest generation of cars from Ingolstadt has finally mitigated the nose-heavy feeling we didn't enjoy in previous automobiles from the company. Now they've mitigated the lack of paintball guns, adding them to a pair of RS4 Avants -- done up in Spy-vs.-Spy black and white, natch -- and setting them loose in a hangar, framing the whole shebang with a smidge of Super Nintendo-vintage video-gaminess. Still no dice on getting one in the states, though.

Volkswagen plans 4 million cars from one platform

Volkswagen is pushing the global-platform concept to a level unprecedented in the auto industry, introducing a modular platform this summer that eventually will be the basis of microcars, sedans, crossovers and SUVs for its four largest brands. While automakers now share platforms across brands and sometimes even segments, the VW initiative that starts this summer is far more ambitious than anything seen so far. By 2017, some analysts estimate, the MQB platform that debuts with the Audi A3 eventually will be used in 4 million units a year--close to half of VW's annual production.