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

Bentley brings even faster Continental V8 S to Detroit

Bentley first showed the Continental V8 S at the Frankfurt Motor Show a few months ago, but the slightly more powerful V8 Continental makes its North American debut in Detroit. More horsepower is always welcome, and the handsome new grand tourer delivers precisely 21 more. While Bentley has been concentrating on W12-powered Speed models -- even suggesting that it might be an entertaining drive on a racetrack -- the V8 range has been bolstered by its own modest performance enhancements: 21 more horsepower and 15 more lb-ft of torque bring the 4.0-liter engine's figures up to 521 and 502, respectively.

McLaren reportedly at work on its next big thing

While we're getting ready for the soon-to-be-released McLaren MP4-12C, the British sports-car maker is at work on its next project. McLaren is aiming for a 2014 launch for a sports car that is larger than the MP4-12C, according to the Web site of the U.K.'s Autocar magazine. The magazine says McLaren is working with engineering firm Ricardo to develop a 5.0-liter engine that cranks out nearly 800 hp.

Court order BANS publication of VW’s Luxury car security codes

Bentley is just one of VW’s marques whose security has been compromised There have been plenty of stories around in recent years of car makers’ security systems being easily hacked by spotty boys with a laptop, and now a scientist at Birmingham University has cracked VW’s Megamos Crypto system that protects cars like Bentley and Porsche. Flavia Garcia has cracked the code that transmits between VW’s luxury cars – like Bentleys and Porsches – and the key fob, which potentially fatally compromises VW’s security. Garcia had planned to publish his paper on the fatal flaws in the Megamos Crypto system at the Usenix Security Symposium in Washington next month, but a judge has put the kybosh on that.