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

Carbon-fiber parts and a software fix help create a lighter, faster Fiat

Chrysler Group's Mopar parts brand and Italian supplier Magneti Marelli have teamed up on a design exercise based on the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth that shaved weight and added horsepower. The vehicle, called the Venom, has a number of carbon fiber components -- hood and side mirrors, for example -- that makes it about 200 pounds lighter than the 2,512-pound Abarth. The Venom uses software updates and additional exhaust components to boost the Abarth's standard 160-hp 1.4-liter turbocharged engine's output by as much as 25 percent.

Hyundai PassoCorto coming to Geneva

Hot on the tailpipes of the Kia GT4 Stinger's debut in Detroit comes word of an even racier-looking two-seater from parent company Hyundai – the PassoCorto. Built by and for Gen Y car enthusiasts, the PassoCorto was styled by 16 students in the Master's program of transportation design at the Istituto Europeo Design (IED) in Turin. The students were tasked by Hyundai Design Center Europe with making “…the car that would be on top of their list for buying and driving.” We don't know any Gen Ys who could fork over close to $60,000 for a car, the cost of the similarly-sized Alfa 4C, but we know plenty who would like to have one.

A Decade Of Fast Vauxhalls Celebrated

VAUXHALL is celebrating 10 years of its VXR performance brand in style, with the launch of a new version of its popular VXR8 model. The GTS variant joins an illustrious line of hot Vauxhalls from the last decade that saw the memorable VXR220 roadster and Aussie bruiser the Monaro VXR hit the showrooms back in 2004. There are currently five cars in Vauxhall's VXR range: the Corsa VXR, the 210 horsepower Corsa VXR ClubSport, the 280 horsepower Astra VXR, the 325 horsepower Insignia VXR and the aforementioned 576 horsepower VXR8 GTS.