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

Central Academy of Fine Arts degree show 2009, China

China's home grown car makers are increasingly ambitious, as illustrated by plans to grow rapidly at home and, in some cases, expand abroad and compete with foreign rivals in cutting-edge technologies. One big impediment they face in taking on their foreign rivals is design. Top dogs in the global auto industry invest heavily in engineers and designers.

Tesla Model S outsells luxury competition

As if Tesla needed any more good news this month, first-quarter sales are in and the electric Model S outsold the Mercedes S-class, Audi A8 and BMW 7-series, according to “CNN Money.” In the first three months of 2013, Tesla sold 4,750 sedans while Mercedes sold 3,077 of the S-class, BMW sold 2,338 of the 7-series and Audi sent 1,462 A8s out of the dealership. The Model S does have its sticker price going for it. The base model can be had for $69,900 -- possibly less with tax incentives -- while the cheapest S-class goes for $93,255, the 7-series for $74,525 and the A8 for $73,095.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S (2011) at 2011 Geneva motor show

Good news for fans of Aston Martin's V8 Vantage, and especially those who found it a touch slow: the new, musclier V8 Vantage S.  The Aston Martin Vantage S is a tweaked-up version of the regular Vantage, and a full production model. It's the fastest Vantage yet! The biggest change is under the bonnet. The 4.7-litre V8 now has a stouter 430bhp, which makes it 20bhp more powerful than the Vantage N24 and 30bhp up on the N400 special editions.