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

How the Nissan Qashqai reinvented the family car

The 2014 Nissan Qashqai (above) arrived in showrooms this week, but will the second-generation model be as groundbreaking as the first? Inevitably, the all-new Qashqai looks very similar to the outgoing model, but why change a winning formula? The original Qashqai was, arguably, the most successful new family car launch since the original Volkswagen Golf from 1974. And it came out of the blue, because Nissan was perhaps the last company anyone would have expected to come up with such a revolutionary design.

Coda to price electric compact sedan at $44,900

Coda Automotive Inc. will begin delivering the first of its electric compact sedans in December priced at $44,900 before federal and state incentives. With federal incentives, the starting price will be $37,400, and with California state incentives, the price could be as low as $32,400.

2012 Volkswagen Beetle to launch with Black Turbo edition

Volkswagen is borrowing a page from sister company Porsche and will turn to the color black to sex up the soon-to-arrive 2012 VW Beetle--and to draw attention to a preorder program launching this year. The Beetle Black Turbo edition follows in the lineage of Porsche 911s augmented with Black editions, and the VW will sticker for $25,720, including shipping. Power comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, which is the same as the regular turbo Beetle--and VW's hot hatch, the GTI.