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

GM to slash global vehicle platforms by more than half, to 14, by 2018

General Motors says it will cut the number of vehicle platforms it uses globally by more than half over the next decade, in a bid to reduce complexity and save on product-development costs. “More of our components will be common, and more of our vehicles will be on global architectures,” GM CEO Dan Akerson told analysts on Tuesday. His remarks came as GM kicked off a series of presentations online, billed as its 2011 Global Business Conference.

Euro NCAP tests for C4, Swift, CR-Z and iX35

The results from the latest round of Euro NCAP crash tests are in, and - surprise, surprise - every car tested came away with a maximum five-star safety rating. The new Citroen C4, Suzuki Swift, Honda CR-Z hybrid and Hyundai iX35 were all put through their paces, and each passed with flying colours. The latest results, while highlighting how far car safety has come in recent years (remember the notorious Rover 100 fiasco of 1997?), are bound to reignite the growing debate that the tests - or at least the marks awarded - need to show more differentiation between models.

Renault unveils R-Link tablet

Renault is aiming to take its in-vehicle user interface modules to the next level with the new R-Link tablet system announced at LeWeb 2011 today, December 7.  R-Link features a seven-inch tactile screen, steering wheel-mounted controls and voice recognition systems. It is simultaneously connected to the vehicle's information and data center, the user's mobile phone and to the Cloud. The company claims that the bespoke UI features interactive and intuitive menus, which enable users to access all the car's functions and data easily.