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

This is the future of in-car electronics

The annual Consumer Electronics Show kicks off tomorrow in Las Vegas, in the same massive convention center that held the SEMA show only a few months ago. Almost as many carmakers will come to CES as made the trek to SEMA, with seven major carmakers expected to have show stands and two big suppliers – Visteon and Delphi – showing their latest techno-stuff, too. Here, in alphabetical order so as not to offend anyone, is a preview of what we expect to find in Las Vegas this week.

Brawn GP wins diffuser row

Brawn GP wins the verdict at the FIA hearing on the F1 diffuser row [ad#ad-1] Well, Ross Brawn said from the start that the rear diffuser on the Brawn GP car was legal. The man knows his stuff, and has the ability to interpret the regulations to suit his cause, and the FIA has today ruled that he’s right. So Brawn and Jenson Button’s wins stand, the cars are legal  (as are those of Williams and Toyota) and the rest of the F1 teams are going to have to play catch-up very quickly if they’re going to have a chance this year.

Ford Focus is the best selling car…in the world

It’s a big feather in Ford’s cap and vindication of their ‘One Ford’ global product strategy, which has finally seen Ford realise that the world wants the cars it makes and designs in Europe. Focus sales rose in the US by 40 per cent in 2012 (a market Ford would have declared completely unsuitable for a relatively compact European hatch a decade ago) and China accounted for a massive one in four of all Focus sold, a rise of 51 per cent, making the Focus the best-selling passenger car in China. Not only did the Focus take the best selling car (actually, best selling nameplate), the Ford Fiesta did well to, coming in sixth on Polk’s list with a not insignificant 723,130 registrations around the world.