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

How the Nissan Qashqai reinvented the family car

The 2014 Nissan Qashqai (above) arrived in showrooms this week, but will the second-generation model be as groundbreaking as the first? Inevitably, the all-new Qashqai looks very similar to the outgoing model, but why change a winning formula? The original Qashqai was, arguably, the most successful new family car launch since the original Volkswagen Golf from 1974. And it came out of the blue, because Nissan was perhaps the last company anyone would have expected to come up with such a revolutionary design.

Porsche Panamera explained in greater detail

Porsche has revealed previously undisclosed details of its new Panamera ahead of a planned public debut at next month's Shanghai motor show. On sale in North America on Oct. 17, the first-ever Porsche sedan will cost more than the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, with prices starting at $89,800 for the base rear-wheel-drive Panamera S and rising to $93,800 for the four-wheel-drive Panamera 4S.

East meets West at NDE

Nissan opened the doors to its European design studios late last month, part of the Japanese automaker's first ever participation in the London Design Festival events in London, UK. Showcasing the works of 20 designers under the theme of 'East meets West: the cultural crossroads of creativity', the exhibition also included a ‘Pecha Kucha' event with presentations from a further six influential designers. Held in Nissan Design Europe's ground floor conference rooms, the exhibition presented pieces from artists and designers around the world working across various disciplines, including photography, Fine Arts, textiles, product design, fashion and ceramics.