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

Entries in for 2012 LA Design Challenge

Final designs for the 2025 Highway Patrol Vehicle from worldwide design studios are in for the Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge. Design studios from BMW DesignWorksUSA, General Motors, Honda North America, Honda Japan, Mercedes-Benz and Subaru are fighting it out to be honored in the annual contest by showcasing their creativity and talent. This year's Design Challenge asked automotive design studios to create a highway patrol vehicle for 2025 that tackled the ‘protect and serve' aspect while considering emissions, population growth and transportation infrastructure.

This could be your first autonomous vehicle

While Google's autonomous fleet of robot cars prowls Silicon Valley and gets all the press, the first, or one of the first, truly autonomous vehicles you may ride in could be something like this: The humble, people-moving Navia. Developed by a French company called Induct, the Navia is ringed with laser beams (not frickin' laser beams. Ed.) that help it navigate through city streets or college campuses without the aid of a track in the ground, a rail or even GPS (GPS is not accurate enough, Induct says).

Mercedes SLS AMG: David Coulthard drives the Isle of Man +video

The Mercedes SLS AMG attacks the Isle of Man in the capable hands of DC UK readers and those outside the UK who play silly games to get their hands on the world’s second favourite motoring show – Fifth Gear – may well have seen Tiff Needell pop off to the Isle of Man to borrow a Mercedes SLS AMG David Coulthard was playing with. What David was doing in the Manx Mountains was driving the SLS AMG as fast as he could on the Isle of Man’s unrestricted roads (which were also shut for his convenience) to produce what the film makers are calling ‘The Fastest 3D film ever shot on Land”. The short film – ‘Manx Meister’ – has DC blatting across the top of the IOM at speeds in excess of 160mph.