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

2013 Toyota Auris: Price from £14,495

The new Toyota Auris is heading for a debut at Paris 2012 and Toyota has now revealed prie and specification ahead of its reval. Starting point will be £14,495 and there will be four trim grades - Active, Icon, Sport and Excel – as well as two petrol engines – 1.33 Dual VVT-i and 1.6 litre Valvematic – a single 1.4 litre D-4D diesel and a hybrid, with the diesel and petrols getting a six-speed manual ‘box and Toyota’s Multidrive S CVT an option on the 1.6 petrol. The Auris hybrid gets the E-CVT automatic.

Design Services: Car Menu launched

Within almost every automotive design department throughout the world, their comes a time when a junior designer is dispatched to find a picture of some new model's tail lamp, the side view of a particular class leading competitor or examples of several new cars' colour and trim packages. Whilst looking at the competition is not necessarily a healthy way of finding ideas, it is often essential to demonstrate what is feasible, check in-house proposals are not too derivative, or show how advanced a design theme is relative to the same type of cars on the market. But even if the particular aspect of a car can be found, press packs and magazines typically show cars in the flattering light of an exotic location or being drifted around a corner on opposite lock; rarely are these images particularly useful.

Freeman Thomas: “it's easier to create your own rocket than create your own car”

The Industrial Designers Society of America's ‘Designing Innovation' panel discussion took place in San Francisco yesterday. The event was sponsored by Ford, with strategic design director, Freeman Thomas taking a place on the panel. Having parked a C-MAX Energi and new F-150 in the venue, Ford's influence weighed rather heavily, particularly in the early moments.