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.

New BMW 4-series Gran Coupé: OFFICIAL

The BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe (pictured) has been officially revealed The new BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe leaked out yesterday ahead of an official reveal by BMW, but that leak has prompted BMW to action and we get the official reveal today, probably sooner than BMW had intended. Looking like a shrunken 6-Series Gran Coupe – and visually similar to the 3-Series saloon too – the 4 Series Gran Coupe gets a liftback tailgate similar to the 3-Series Gran Turismo to differentiate the 4-Series Gran Coupe from the 3-Series saloon and add to its appeal. The profile is more swoopy too with a short glasshouse, smaller frameless rear doors and comes in 14mm longer and wider – and 40mm lower – than the 3-Series, and gets the same chassis as the 4-Series Coupe with a wheelbase of 2810mm.

It's 510 Again!

Any sports or sporty car driver worth their gear oil will remember the mighty Datsun 510 - the front-engine, rear-drive coupe, sedan and wagon that gave racers on a budget something that was just as fun to pilot as BMWs and Alfas of the day. From 1968 to 1973 you could have as much fun as any of those guys with fancy European rides. While a little more boxy than its competitors, the 510 was nonetheless nimble and extraordinarily fun to drive.