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

Exclusive: Pierre Castinel resigns from Head of Design role at Tata

Tata's Head of Design, Pierre Castinel, has resigned from his post to accept a position at PSA, Car Design News has learned. Castinel was originally hired to develop the design direction and form a brand identity for Tata's full line of vehicles, including cars, pickups, SUVs, MPVs, trucks and buses, but things haven't been going well at the Indian automaker. According to insiders, Tata closed Castinel's design studio in the British midlands last year, forcing the UK-based team to move into the automaker's engineering center in Warwickshire.

The dog ate my Aston Martin

A 42-year-old Brit gave his dog away after the border collie-spaniel mix chewed the fiberglass fender of his Aston Martin DB9 Volante while he was away from home, the Daily Mail reports. Royston Grimstead, from Somerset, England, told the Mail he was already contemplating giving his dog, Luce, away because she didn't get along with his other dog. Then he came home to find $4,800 in damage to his Aston.

Mitsubishi will offer plug-in hybrid in 2013

Mitsubishi will launch a plug-in hybrid SUV in 2013, the head of the company's electric vehicle business unit said. The SUV will be similar to the Px-MiEV concept car shown at the 2009 Tokyo auto show, said Yoshikazu Nakamura, senior executive officer of Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s global electric vehicle business. The plug-in hybrid is in its final stages of development, he said.