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

IED collaborates with McLaren to create the crossovers of 2020

Students from the Istituto Europeo di Design, Turin have collaborated with British super car manufacturer, McLaren Automotive, to design an off-road, hybrid two-seater for 2020. The 33, third-year post-diploma Transportation Design students were briefed by McLaren Automotive design director, Frank Stephenson, to create a car capable of 'combining sports excellence, driving thrills and the McLaren performance characteristics both off- and on-road'. "McLaren Automotive's plans are wholly based on two-seat, mid-engined performance cars," explained Stephenson.

Lexus IS (2013) more details of new 3-series rival

Lexus has pulled the cloth back on the all-new Lexus IS at the 2013 Detroit motor show, and announced more details of its new hybrid 3-series rival. This will be the first hybrid Lexus IS, and UK sales will start in summer 2013.  What do we know about the new hybrid Lexus IS?  The IS300h combines an electric motor with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The torque output is yet to be confirmed, but there's 217bhp and Lexus is aiming for a sub-100g/km CO2 output and fuel consumption of at least 65mpg. Figures like that are likely to grab the attention of fleet managers, as Lexus hopes to close the gap on rivals like the BMW 3-series, Mercedes C-class and Audi A4.  There's a non-hybrid model too, but this IS250 will be powered by a 204bhp 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine. It won't be a fleet favourite.  The IS250h has a six-speed automatic transmission, the IS300h has a CVT gearbox, and both cars are rear-wheel drive.

Porsche Cayman and Boxster GTS on the way

Porsche Cayman GTS and Boxster GTS variants are expected to be unveiled at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show this year, before the upgraded versions of the German firm’s two-seater coupe and convertible models go on sale in April. According to reports, development work on both cars is now almost complete, with both vehicles gaining a power increase and revised styling over existing Cayman and Boxster models (pictured). On Bing: see pictures of the Porsche Boxster GTSFind out how much a used Boxster costs on Auto Trader Porsche has used the ‘GTS’ tag before, for versions of its existing cars that provide a more focused driver experience and greater emphasis on involvement and handling, and which retain normally aspirated engines.