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

Ford Fiesta eWheelDrive gets wheel hub electric motors

The Ford Fiesta eWheelDrive – a driveable research vehicle built by Ford and German specialists Schaeffler – may be a regular supermini in size, but it points towards a potential future EV which is much more compact and very manoeuvrable. Ford has taken a regular Fiesta and dumped its powertrain, replacing it with a battery bank where the engine would be and fitted a pair of in-hub electric motors on the rear wheels. But the plan is to build new cars with the batteries under the floor which frees up the space under the bonnet which can then be all but removed to create a very compact urban car that still has space for four.

Alfa Romeo 8C GTA rendered

Alfa Romeo are planning a hard-core version of the 8C - the Alfa Romeo 8C GTA But it’s been on the cards for a while that Alfa Romeo will produce and all carbon version of the 8C. And the likely début for that car – The Alfa Romeo 8C GTA – is likely to be 2010, the 100th anniversary of Alfa Romeo. The carbon fibre Alfa 8C GTA should shed at least 250lbs over the normal 8C.

Ebay-GM partnership generates interest but limited sales

General Motors Co.'s effort to sell new cars on eBay in California is generating interest but recording few sales on the Internet auction site. In the first nine days of the program, GM dealers listed 16,228 vehicles on eBay and completed 45 sales, according to data available on the Web site. But GM said the eBay exposure is prompting customers to visit dealerships to complete sales that aren't recorded on eBay.