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

Center stack is new high-stakes battleground; showdown with safety regulators looms

For auto suppliers and gadget companies eager to get a piece of the auto industry, the hottest chunk of vehicle real estate now is the center stack. That corridor of interior space, running from the driver's right hip up through the center of the cockpit to the bottom of the windshield, has become a California gold rush of opportunity. But it is less so for traditional suppliers of molded plastics, cables, levers, buttons and radios.

A first look at the Audi TT RS plus

Audi is taking aim at the new Porsche Boxster and its yet-to-be-revealed sister model, the upcoming second-generation Cayman, with a spectacular 174-mph version of the TT RS, pictured here officially for the first time. Called the TT RS plus, the powered-up coupe and roadster pairing is set to join what is shaping up as a formidable display of new Audi models--including the third-generation A3 and the RS4 Avant--at the Geneva motor show in early March. The centerpiece of the new range-topping TT is a tuned version of Audi's turbocharged 2.5-liter, five-cylinder direct-injection gasoline engine as used by the go-fast TT RS, the RS3 Sportback and the limited-production A1 quattro.

Webinars: Realism & Product Correctness in Realtime from RTT

The quality of 3D visualization has improved markedly in recent years as a result of new algorithms – allowing design decisions to be made on the basis of virtual models. Products, including the interior and exterior design of a vehicle, can now be portrayed very realistically using high-end visualization software. This webinar, entitled 'Realism & Product Correctness in Realtime', demonstrates how product lifecycles in the automotive industry – which range from design, development and production through to marketing and sales – is becoming increasingly digital.