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

Factory Five 818 kits are now available

Factory Five made its bones selling simple Shelby Cobra replicas designed to take advantage of plentiful Ford Fox-body Mustang components. But the Fox Mustang, often hailed as the '55 Chevy of its day, hasn't been in production since 1993. To stay in the game, Factory Five needed a more modern, relatively obtainable performance car to build a kit around.

Behind The Scenes: Hot Wheels Design Studio [w/Video]

Hot Wheels' vice president of design Felix Holst has spent some time chatting to Cool Hunting about the brand's design philosophy at its Design Studio at Mattel's headquarters in El Segundo, California, in a new video. According to Holst Hot Wheels has evolved from being focused on muscle cars and V8 engines to being all about technology as a reflection of the new generation they're designing for.  He explains the benefits of designing over 240 vehicles a year that aren't limited by rules and regulations, saying in a studio that's driven by pushing the boundaries, it's a question of just how wild they can get.  The video really captures not only the men's passion for their jobs but the fun they have doing it. Small wonder Holst says he'd never go back to car design, and reveals the studio is packed with qualified car designers who chose Hot Wheels over conventional jobs in the industry.  We also hear from Hot Wheels Car Maker's designer Julian Payne, who explains how the new Car Maker – which gives you the chance to mold your own custom Hot Wheels at home – works.

The Detroit motor show 2010 review, by Gavin Green

Motown may not have rediscovered its mojo but at least the car makers formerly known as the Big Three have regained a little bit of their old swagger since the misery of last year’s Detroit show. After all, it’s not every year that two out of three national car makers go bankrupt. The survivor, Ford, unsurprisingly looked the most confident at this year’s show, never mind that its star car was about as hometown as Bauhaus and bratwurst.