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

Peugeot 308 facelift (2011) first official pictures

It's facelift time for the Peugeot 308. The 2011 mid-life fillip  brings a modest refresh, with tweaked engines, the promise of emissions as low as 98g/km of CO2 and a raft of minor styling and spec enhancements. Although this is a minor facelift, the 308 is easily spotted by its new-era Peugeot look.

GM Korea doubles size of its design center

GM has invested $40million in its Korea Design Center, doubling the size of the facility. The expanded studio opened on 25 April, and will give improved support for both exterior and interior design. As well as more studio space, the upgraded facility now includes improved exterior modeling and 3D printing facilities, an outdoor viewing area with three turntables, and a virtual reality studio – the latter allowing design reviews to take place in real time with GM's network of nine other design centers in six other countries around the world.

2011 LA Design Challenge entries revealed

As the Los Angeles Auto Show rapidly approaches, the 8th international Design Challenge has been announced. Inviting studios from across the globe to compete, previous years have seen concepts created for environmentally conscious briefs that called for sub-1000lb vehicles through to ‘Motorsport 2025' concepts that reinterpreted motor racing in the semi-distant future. This year sees six design studios turning to the silver screen and creating the next ‘A-list automobile', those being: Honda Research and Development Americas, Inc; Hyundai Design North America; Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America inc.