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

Vauxhall to launch sub-£7k city car

Vauxhall is believed to be working on a budget city car to rival the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 108 and Citroen C1 trio unveiled earlier this month at Geneva. According to Auto Express, the new small hatchback will be based on the Chevrolet Spark platform and will start at less than £7,000 – undercutting the firm’s current Adam model by over £4,000. On Bing: see pictures of Vauxhall city cars Find out how much a used Vauxhall costs on Auto Trader If you’re expecting a bland box on wheels like the Agila, don’t fear – as Vauxhall has reportedly said the new car will “have its own distinct personality”.

Citroën designers: Design students have 'golden opportunity'

Today's car design students "have got a fantastic opportunity in a very different world," say Citroën designers. Though the automotive industry has been suffering in many regions in the current economic climate, the next generation of car designers "have got a fantastic opportunity," says Andrew Cowell, Senior Design Manager at Citroën, in conversation with Car Design News at the Royal College of Art, London. "The industry will evolve quite a lot, and these guys (the students on the postgraduate Vehicle Design course) will come out into a very different world." "They'll start in a very interesting period", says Alexandre Malval, Citroën Design Director and himself a graduate from the RCA course.

Maserati Granturismo S (2008): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 26 February 2008 09:36 It’s only a year since Maserati whisked the covers off the delectable Granturismo and the Italians are unveiling a new, more powerful version.  The Granturismo S receives a heart transplant from the sister company Alfa Romeo – in the shape of the 4.7-litre V8 from the 8C supercar. The extra half litre provides more muscle, power rising to 434bhp, compared with the regular Granturismo’s sundry 400bhp. Maserati hasn’t issued performance figures ahead of the car’s Geneva show debut next week, but it’ll clearly be supercar-quick, with a 0-60mph time in less than five seconds.