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

Five least-green vehicles

We are a generation seemingly obsessed with the environment, eager to cover our carbon footprints in any way possible--or at least give off a green vibe visible to our neighbors). And though many car buyers are jumping on the hybrid and electric bandwagons, the majority of us still crave brute-power cars and trucks. While being environmentally friendly is nice, there comes a time when you just have to be mean -- eco-mean, in this case.

Porsche 911 Safari SUV Crossover heading for Beijing Motor Show

Porsche 911 Safari SUV Crossover heading for Beijing Motor Show Porsche anoraks bemoaned the arrival of the Porsche Cayenne SUV as a sacrilege, but its overwhelming success has allowed Porsche to garner huge profits and plough a chunk of those in to keeping the iconic 911 relevant, appealing and cutting-edge. It’s also allowed Porsche to take the Audi Q5 and turn it in to what appears to be a hugely capable and appealing baby Cayenne in the guise of the new Porsche Macan, but it seems Porsche is planning another SUV step with a model that really does seem a  step too far – a Porsche 911 SUV. Auto Bild’s Motor Revue is reporting that a Porsche 911 Safarai is heading for the Beijing Motor Show in April 2014 sporting bigger wheels and tyres and a raised suspension to deliver a 911 Crossover.

Battery breakthrough set to accelerate electric-car development

A team of scientists working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are claiming a significant breakthrough in recharging times for lithium-ion batteries. According to findings published in the scientific journal Nature, MIT researchers Byoungwoo Kang and Gerbrand Ceder have unlocked the potential of lithium-ion batteries by patenting a unique process which is claimed to allow a typical laptop power pack to be fully recharged in less than a minute--an improvement in recharging performance of roughly 90 percent over existing lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries generate electric current via the flow of lithium ions across an electrolyte, from an electrode to a cathode.