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

IDSA's 3D-printed car design contest gets underway

Aspiring designers have the chance to see their 3D-printed car designs launched down a miniature model of a ski jump and crash in the Launch Day 2013 competition due to take place at the 2013 IDSA conference, which runs from 21-24 August. Up to five designs can be entered for free until 12 August in the competition, organized by The Industrial Designers Society of America. All submissions will then be judged for both aesthetics and for "using unique attributes of 3D printing" which will whittle them down to just 10 designs that will be printed before the launch.

Aston Martin adds a V8 Vantage S

Slotted between Aston Martin's vaunted V8 Vantage and the venerable V12 variant comes a tweener model that promises to be anything but vague: Aston is adding the S variant, with more power and an upgraded transmission. The Vantage S draws power from the 4.7-liter V8 making 430 hp, 10 hp more than in the base Vantage. The S also adds 15 lb-ft of torque, boosting total twist to 361 lb-ft.

Luxgen Luxgen5 sedan

Luxgen, Taiwan's only automotive manufacturer with its own design and development center, has announced the launch of the Luxgen5 sedan, which the company says has three design aesthetic elements: surfacing performance, re-curved strokes and intelligent airfoil. What this translates to is a silhouette comparable to the Opel Insignia, with an arcing A-pillar that runs through the cant rail onto the high rear deck. The DRG boasts a large grille, where the chromed ‘wing' motif runs into the LED lamp graphics. The sculpted flanks feature an array of character and detail lines that fall into the ‘re-curved strokes' category of the Luxgen design language.