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

Smart Forspeed concept signals new design direction

Smart will unveil a new concept at the forthcoming Geneva motor show that signals a new design direction, hints at future product and confirms parent company Daimler's renewed commitment to the brand. Car Design News was granted early access to the concept, baptized Forspeed, at a secret photography studio in Stuttgart last week and heard the head of advanced design, Steffen Kohl, explain how the two-seat, electric-powered vehicle prefaces design themes in both the next Fortwo and the revived Forfour, which will be launched in 2014. "The fullness of this concept's exterior surfaces is important and will be reflected in future production models," said Kohl, "Smart will still be short, spacey, agile, and with wheels at the corners of the car, but with an added sporty and emotional design and without losing all the brand's iconic elements like its ‘plastic fantastic' aspect and the safe and hi-tech modular tridion shell assembled with all these changeable body parts.

Ford to triple production of EcoBoost engines by 2015

Ford EcoBoost Engine production to increase In another clear sign of engine downsizing by car makers Ford has announced it will triple production of its EcoBoost engines in Europe by 2015. The petrol engine is fighting back against hybrids and diesels with downsizing and forced induction creating petrol engines that work more pleasingly than  diesels – and with lower particulate emissions – whilst delivering proper performance and levels of economy that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Ford is in the vanguard of this mainstream push to make petrol engines relevant even in a car world dictated by government CO2 targets (which aren’t really CO2 targets , they’re official economy targets) and they’re planning to triple production of their very good range of EcoBoost engines in Europe over the next three years.

Ford design chief J Mays retires, replaced by Moray Callum

J Mays, Ford Motor Co.'s global design chief and one of the last senior executives remaining from the Jacques Nasser era, is retiring from the company along with two other veteran senior executives. Moray Callum, 58, design director for Ford in North America, will replace Mays, 59, the automaker said in a statement today. Also retiring after long Ford careers are Jim Tetreault, 57, vice president of North American manufacturing, and Martin Mulloy, vice president of labor relations.