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

Exclusive: Derek Jenkins to become Design Director at Mazda

Derek Jenkins, former chief designer at the Volkswagen Group design studio in Santa Monica, will become the new Director of Design at Mazda's R&D Design Center in Irvine, CA. Jenkins, who resigned from Volkswagen on March 17th, will be filling the position previously held by Franz von Holzhausen, who left Mazda in August last year to become Design Director at Tesla Motors. "I'm excited to take on something new," Jenkins told CDN.

Mazda Shinari concept car (2010) first official pictures

Mazda's new design direction is embodied in the new Shinari concept car. Modeled to announce to the world the new styling language of future Mazda road cars, the Shinari ushers in a new look to replace the somewhat tortured Nagare mantra that has fizzled into a damp squib on the sides of the latest Mazda 5 midi-MPV. The Shinari won't be shown at the 2010 Paris motor show (apparently it's being held back for a 2011 Geneva debut), yet this is a landmark concept for Mazda design, under the new leadership of chief design Ikuo Maeda.

Nissan cuts the price of the Micra to £7,995

The Nissan Micra is getting a price cut in the UK, with the entry-level Micra dropping to just £7,995 and price cuts across the Micra range. That means the entry-level Micra 1.2 12v Visia comes down form a not exactly bargain basement £9,750 to a much more appealing £7,995. And Nissan hasn’t done it by cutting equipment levels, as they say every model still gets the same level of equipment, including Bluetooth.