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

Inside MP4-12C's new McLaren Production Centre

McLaren today opened the doors to its new McLaren Production Centre which will build the MP4-12C and all future supercars from Ron Dennis's fledgling sports car brand. British prime minister David Cameron attended the event, hailing the economic benefits of manufacturing. He said the UK car industry was helping reshape the national economy from a service-based one enriching the minority to one which actually made things again - to the benefit of a wider slice of society.

Ford, Ken Block launch Gymkhana World Tour

Ford Motor Co. is partnering with Ken Block to make the 2011 Gymkhana World Tour a live-audience motorsport event. Block will showcase the Ford Fiesta during the tour with stops in Austria, Australia and the United States.

Off the line: Fun cars and social responsibility Autoweek op-ed stands the test of time

It's been almost 21 years to the day that Autoweek printed Matt DeLorenzo's column “Off the Line: There's room for fast, fun cars in diet of social responsibility.” And in those two decades plus, not much has changed except the vehicles themselves. For example, sports cars like the Bugatti Veyron and Pagani Huayra have astronomically high performance and safety levels; similarly, sport-utility vehicles that haul entire families (and most of their earthly possessions) achieve fuel economy similar to that of 1970s midsize sedans. To read all of DeLorenzo's thoughts and his case for automobiles, click the links to download the article.