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

Mazda previews the next 2 with the Hazumi concept

Mazda's Hazumi concept looks like a ferocious little rodent, an aggressive lil' gumball of a mini car that's set to replace the Mazda2. Imagine the drooping snout of the Mazda3 (not a "Droopsnoot," mind you) on a car far shorter than that. Imagine the same character lines, the same upward kink over the rear wheel, the same haunches as the 3 and the 6.

Porsche Macan gets four-cylinder powerplant

The new entry level Porsche Macan, shown alongside the new Boxster and Cayman GTS at the Beijing motor show, has become the first Porsche model since the 968 to use four-cylinder power. Parent company Volkswagen's EA888 engine -- as used by a wide range of models from Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Seat -- will motivate the new Porsche SUV. The turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder direct-injection unit, boasting the same state of tune found on the Golf GTi Performance Package, develops 234 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque between 1,500 and 4,500 rpm.

U.S. set to raise fuel-economy standard

Government regulators will get their prize of higher fuel-economy standards, and automakers will get the certainty of a national emissions standard, under new rules to be proposed Tuesday by President Barack Obama. The fleet average fuel economy for automakers will rise to 35.5 mpg in 2016 under the president's proposal--10 mpg more than today's mandate. At the same time, the president's proposed rule will cut carbon emissions, thought to be a key factor in global warming.