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

Smart Forspeed concept signals new design direction

Smart will unveil a new concept at the forthcoming Geneva motor show that signals a new design direction, hints at future product and confirms parent company Daimler's renewed commitment to the brand. Car Design News was granted early access to the concept, baptized Forspeed, at a secret photography studio in Stuttgart last week and heard the head of advanced design, Steffen Kohl, explain how the two-seat, electric-powered vehicle prefaces design themes in both the next Fortwo and the revived Forfour, which will be launched in 2014. "The fullness of this concept's exterior surfaces is important and will be reflected in future production models," said Kohl, "Smart will still be short, spacey, agile, and with wheels at the corners of the car, but with an added sporty and emotional design and without losing all the brand's iconic elements like its ‘plastic fantastic' aspect and the safe and hi-tech modular tridion shell assembled with all these changeable body parts.

Toyota Prius+ gets a bit of a tweak for 2015

Toyota Prius+ gets a bit of a tweak for 2015 It’s more than three years since Toyota took the Prius and turned it in to the world’s only seven-seat MPV – the Toyota Prius+ – and more than two years since it arrived in the UK. So it’s time for a tweak or two. The cosmetic changes to the Prius+ are, by any standards, minor and consist of the normal facelift fodder with tweaks at the front – new grill design and badge and LED lights – and the back – redesigned bumper, slightly different lights and some trim round the numberplate – being pretty much it for the exterior.

MINI-Minor – the new mini MINI

The Mini Spiritual Concept from the Rover years I guess you need to be old enough to remember the Morris Mini Minor to make any sense of the headline. When the Mini was launched in 1959 you could have it in two versions – the Morris Mini Minor or the Austin Seven. Which was not at all unusual in the old days of BMC/BL/British Leyland.