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

Karmann files for insolvency

Karmann, the century-old German coachbuilder synonymous with cabrios and the famous 1950s Karmann Ghia, has filed for insolvency. The company made the move Wednesday in Germany in response to a dramatic decline in revenue, an inability to pay for its massive layoff plan and the worldwide economic crisis. The North American operations, which make convertible tops for Detroit car companies and Volkswagen, are not affected, a spokesman said.

Autoweek in review: This week's highlights

Here's a rundown of what you might have missed at Autoweek.com the past few days: --Automakers brought goodies galore to the SEMA show floor in Las Vegas. Check out all our coverage at the Autoweek SEMA show page. --After negative reception of the redesigned 2012 Honda Civic launched last spring, Honda is saying the next refresh for the Civic could be as soon as 2013, which is about a year ahead of schedule.

Volvo to launch large-scale autonomous driving project

It's going to happen sooner than we though -- the machines are going to take over. No need to jump in your car and drive to your uncle's fallout shelter where he's been stockpiling expired cans of tomato soup, though, at least not just yet. The machines in question are Volvos (pretty benign, right?), and the place they'll be taking over is Volvo's home town of Gothenburg, Sweden.