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

Ford Escape/Kuga

When we spoke with J Mays about the Vertrek concept car at the 2011 NAIAS in Detroit, he told us "this is about 85 per-cent as the production car will look". On viewing these pictures of the new generation Ford Kuga/Escape, it's clear Ford's chief designer was true to his word. It's significant for being the first true product of the company's ‘One Ford' strategy, which harmonizes the American, European and Asian operations, developing singular products for the global market.

Toyota/Scion coupe specs reach the Internet

Specifications for the Toyota FT-86 and Scion FR-S coupes have leaked on the Internet via scanned images of the training manual, posted at www.ft86club.com. If the site's translations are correct, the 2,667-pound coupe will use a 2.0-liter flat-four engine that makes 197 hp at 7,000 rpm and 150 lb-ft of torque at 6,600 rpm. It looks as if the FR-S will come in two trim levels: a higher-spec variant that features a limited-slip rear differential in both manual and automatic versions of the car and a lower-spec model that has only the limited-slip diff with the manual transmission.

Michelin design contest inspires young minds

The College for Creative Studies in Detroit held its 24th Michelin Design challenge, in which Michelin sponsors a design and development project for one of CCS' transportation design classes. The competition works like this: CCS and Michelin get together to develop a theme, then CCS picks which transportation design class will work on the project. The idea, Michelin says, is to celebrate and promote the kind of vehicle design that highlights original thinking and innovation.