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

Audi readying new crossover to rival the BMW X6

Audi has kicked off development of a new performance-orientated crossover model to directly counter the BMW X6. Set to be called the Q6 when it reaches North American showrooms, the five-seat crossover is rumored to be based around the same all-wheel-drive underpinnings as the second-generation Volkswagen Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne, both of which use a short-wheelbase version of the Volkswagen Group's so-called Colorado platform that in long-wheelbase guise is also used in the Audi Q7. Nothing has been made official, but in an interview with the German media at the Geneva motor show, Audi boss Rupert Stadler alluded to the crossover, saying, “We can imagine a model between the Q5 and the Q7 .

Mercedes AMG and Cigarette Racing team up for ultra-performance boat

Two celebrated performance brands--Mercedes AMG and Cigarette Racing--unveiled a custom Cigarette inspired by the SLS AMG (“Better Than the Original?”, AW, Nov. 30, 2009), at the Miami International Boat Show. Though the boat is based on Cigarette's 46' Rider, Cigarette says a clean-sheet approach was used to build the all-new boat.

Opel Ampera preview

Opel has released a teaser sketch of its new five-door extended-range electric car ahead of its public debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March. Based on the Voltec powertrain and chassis architecture of Chevrolet's Volt, the Ampera promises to surpass that car in terms of style by some margin. The body appears to be nearly identical between the A- and C-pillars, but the deformed horseshoe-shaped headlamp design and two-bar grille come straight from the 2007 Flextreme concept, as do the car's tree-branch alloy wheels.