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

Ford's NA Design Director aims to shorten product lifecycles

Peter Horbury, Ford Motor Company North America Design Director, has told Automotive News he intends to shorten product lifecycles at the ailing company from an average five years to three years starting this decade. "We feel there is no value in minor changes but a huge value in major changes," Horbury told the industry weekly. Ford needs to ensure that buyers continue visiting showrooms as the giant automaker struggles to retain market share.

Henrik Fisker wants to buy back Fisker

The resignation of Henrik Fisker in March from the eponymous company he worked so hard to build in to a credible ‘Green’ car company precipitated the meltdown of Fisker, which now stands on the edge of bankruptcy over $171 million owed to the US government. But Henrik Fisker has a plan. He’s teamed up with Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li – a Fisker investor – to try and buy the US government debt and save Fisker from being crushed by bankruptcy.

Concept Car of the Week: Ford Mustang I (1962)

Influenced by science fiction and Space exploration in the early sixties, Ford Motor Corporation developed a series of research vehicles to test innovative layouts, experimental technologies and futuristic styling on such radical concepts as the X2000, Levacar Mach 1 and the Gyron that still captivate the imagination. In parallel, Ford's advanced styling studio was also working on a more rational project that could influence production models to compete with GM Corvair Monza. Stylists and engineers came up with a high-performance 2-seater vehicle with the engine placed in front of the rear axle for better aerodynamics and improved weight distribution.