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

Michelin Challenge Design 2007: The not so ugly truth about rising vehicle safety standards

Can cars be safe and beautiful at the same time? That may not have been the case a few decades ago when automakers were forced to hang those big, ugly so-called federal bumpers off the ends of their vehicles.  With vehicle safety standards on the rise around the globe are designers today feeling a little '70s deja vu when it comes to meeting the challenges of making cars safe as well as more fuel efficient? "(Back then) we said it was the end of automotive styling," says Patrick Le Quement, senior vice president for corporate design at Renault and one of the world's most influential automotive designers.

Allan McNish: Le Mans 'toughest race of the year'

Allan McNish has won the Le Mans 24-hour enduro twice and lines up in the Audi R18 e-tron with nine-time winner Tom Kristensen and a new co-driver for 2013. He talks about the fight between Audi and Toyota and his accidents of 2011 and 2012. Hi Allan, what are you up to?

Jaguar to offer 4WD across its range – but does that mean for the UK too?

Jaguar has revealed it plans to offer all wheel drive models across its range for future models, but will the UK get the chance to buy a 4WD Jaguar? Not only was the lack of a four wheel drive platform hampering sales, but it was cited as one of the main reasons Jaguar hadn’t given the green light to an XF Estate. But things have moved on in the last couple of years and Jaguar has recently launched a 4WD XJ and 4WD XF (although not for the UK) and finally delivered the XF Sportbrake (but without a 4WD option).