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

Visual arts students vs. in-car technology

The automobile's natural technological evolution has gone from basics like wipers and headlights to high-tech infotainment systems that map your route, locate the nearest Starbucks, report weather and traffic, and stream personal music libraries. Yet many of these systems are difficult and distracting to use. So we wondered: Of the infotainment systems out there, is there even one achieving its connectivity goals better than the rest?

Study finds teen drivers need more time in adverse conditions

Practice might make perfect, but not if the drills never change. In a study organized by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Study and the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, participating teen drivers averaged about an hour and a half of supervised driving each week--mostly on routine trips along the same roads. At the end of the year-long study, 47 percent of parents said there was at least one driving condition they felt their student wasn't prepared to handle.

Volkswagen to crank up U.S. Passat production

Volkswagen of America is prepared to expand production of the U.S. Passat less than four months after building its first one. The automaker is looking for a sign from the market to boost production at its just-opened plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.