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

College Exhibition: IED Degree Show 2008

Graduating students at the Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin (IED) recently completed a project created in association with BMW. The projects, presented at an exhibition entitled ‘Designing the BMW of 2015', followed a brief to design a car by interpreting the language evolution and the trademark essence in view of the company's future perspectives. Students were asked to research the needs, tastes and lifestyle of 35 year old individual in 2025 and find inspiration in natural elements (sun, sea, wind and earth) and in forms of expression (music, painting and art).

Concept Car of the Week: BMW Turbo (1972)

Built by Michelotti in Turin and unveiled at the 1972 Paris motor show, the BMW Turbo was built both as a symbol of the carmaker's strength after its troubles in the ‘60s and as a celebration of that summer's Olympic Games in Munich. This two-door coupe, based on a modified 2002 chassis with a mid-mounted engine, was born when BMW's design director Paul Bracq convinced the board to let him design a concept that would be part design exercise, part technology testbed. Safety had become an increasingly important consideration following a number of design summits in the early ‘70s, and Bracq used the Turbo to test out a number of safety solutions.

The next F1: McLaren plans replacement for supercar

Formula One powerhouse McLaren secretly has begun work on a replacement for its legendary F1 supercar, while it also gears up to become a mainstream sports-car maker. McLaren's Technology Center in Woking, England, has built some 2,000 McLaren SLR supercars a year for Mercedes-Benz, but McLaren boss Ron Dennis reportedly has his sights set on producing 1,000 of its upcoming Ferrari F430-fighting P11s a year starting in 2011. The number, Dennis said, will rise to 4,000 cars by mid-decade as future models such as the Porsche 911-challenging P8 come on line.