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

Aston Martin V12 Vantage (2009): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 04 February 2009 09:00 Aston Martin today unveils the new V12 Vantage – the production version of the 2007 concept car. No prizes for guessing this car’s remit: it’s the beautiful Vantage bodyshell (now four years old!) stuffed with six litres and 12 cylinders of Aston muscle. The V12 Vantage will be shown at the 2009 Geneva motor show on 3 March.

Tesla takes a swipe at BMW & Audi

Tesla’s design boss, Franz von Holzhausen, says the BMW i3 is an IKEA car We’ve long been of the opinion that electric cars, certainly with the current levels of battery technology, can never be a replacement for an ICE car. But we do have soft spot for what Tesla are doing. That’s because Tesla has tackled the issues of electric cars in  the cleverest way possible by building a car (the Model S) that looks like a normal luxury car – rather than making it look odd or quirky just to ram home its difference – and made it travel a sensible distance on a single charge.

GMC Granite concept (w/ Video)

The biggest surprise at the 2010 NAIAS was GMC's Granite concept - a design that expands (or rather contracts) the truck/crossover brand's 'professional grade' philosophy to a compact hatchback aimed at urban hipsters and early adopters. Conceived by Frank Saucedo's Advanced Design team in California and then built at GM's Design Center in Detroit, the Granite combines the basic proportions of the Nissan Cube and Scion xB with a military/industrial feel inspired by the current G-Star and Diesel fashion lines. Watch the videos to the left to see the young international design team present the rationale behind the new concept, and read our opinion of the Granite in our 2010 Detroit Auto Show Highlights.