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

Test your car's audio quality with iTunes playlist

General Motors audio engineer Matt Kirsch, who did the sound work for the Chevrolet Cruze, has developed an iTunes playlist that helps drivers test their cars' audio quality. The “10 Songs for an Audio ‘Test Drive'” playlist includes: “Don't Know Why” by Norah Jones “Diamonds and Rust” by Joan Baez “No One” by Alicia Keys “Hotel California” by the Eagles “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas “Rock That Body” by the Black Eyed Peas “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap “He Mele No Lilo” by Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu (from Lilo & Stitch) “Bird on a Wire” by Johnny Cash “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box” by Radiohead While “Boom Boom Pow” and “Rock That Body” should have accurate and powerful bass beats, “No One” and “Bird on a Wire” should feature clarity in the vocals. Kirsch's playlist is available for download at http://tiny.cc/c2ach.

Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV (PHEV) Paris 2012 debut

A production version of the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) will debut at the Paris Motor Show in September. Mitsubishi has already had a couple of stabs at a plug-in hybrid Outlander EV, with the PX-MiEV at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2009 and then again with the imaginatively named PX-MiEV II at last year’s Tokyo Show. But now we’re about to get the production version.

Three Lexus special editions arriving before the new year

Lexus has rolled out three special-edition models. They aren't F-branded as we hoped, but they do come with some sporty touches. The Lexus LS 460 Sport Special Edition gets upgrades from the wheels to the sunroof and a unique obsidian paint job.