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

Audi A3 Cabriolet 1.2 TFSI hits UK

The Audi A3 1.2 TFSI Cabriolet arrives in the UK The Frankfurt Motor Show last year was – as is often the case these days – something of a ‘Green-fest’. We had BMW’s Vision Concept and the first outing for an Audi e-tron (is that really only six months ago?), but we also had the introduction of the smallest engine Audi have ever stuck in a car – the 1.2 TFSI. It may be the smallest engine, but it’s not the least powerful thanks to the turbo.

Tokyo Auto Salon pits performance autos against hybrids

The world's other big January auto show, the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, opened its doors to tuner enthusiasts in mid-month with a record 402 exhibitors. The Auto Salon fuses numerous styles, but the overriding theme this year was hybrid cars, with customized Toyota Priuses and Honda Insights at every turn. Good old-fashioned engine tuning is alive and well in Japan, where even new sports cars are being heavily modified, with cars such as the KRL Mitsubishi Evolution X and the HKS Nissan GT-R both boasting in excess of 600 hp.

Video: Rendering a Le Mans racer using layer masks and pixel locking in Photoshop

Local Motors' designer and community manager Aurel Francois has made this short video explaining how he created his 'Alpine A444' render for the Le Mans Themed Sketchwall Challenge. His side view may be simple in terms of perspective but by using layer masks and pixel locking in Photoshop, the blue race car soon comes to life. Worth a watch of you're looking to get to grips with computer rendering techniques.