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

Brief 5 – Sculpting: CDN–GM Interactive Design Competition

The Car Design News and General Motors Interactive Design Competition is now open. It offers you the choice of five briefs, each set by GM's design teams, and entries are invited at http://www.cardesigncontest.com/ Sculpting, the fifth and final brief, is new for this year's running of the design competition. The challenge is to explore automotive sculpting; the fundamental principles of line, form, proportion and scale.

Mazda outlines weight-loss program

Mazda Motor Corp. will reduce its vehicle weights by at least 220 pounds beginning in 2011, with a combination of lighter-weight materials, smaller vehicle footprints and new engineering processes, a top executive says. The typical Mazda vehicle has gained 80 pounds with each successive redesign, “mostly in larger tires and wheels, and safety equipment,” said Robert Davis, senior vice president of product development and quality for Mazda North American Operations.

U.S. car sales surge 19 percent in May

All major automakers except Toyota reported double-digit U.S. sales gains in May, as the light-vehicle sales rate hit its highest level since December. Sales rose 19 percent from May 2009, marking the eighth-straight monthly increase, the longest such streak since June 2000, according to Bloomberg Data.