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

Who's Where: GM's new Asian and European design studio appointments

New additions have been made to the design management teams at General Motors, both in Asia and in Europe. Effective today (August 1), Friedhelm Engler begins his new role as Director of Design for the Pan Asian Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), based in Shanghai, China.  He is responsible for all design related activities in the joint venture between General Motors and the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC).

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”.

Chevy Spark Confirmed – the Yanks learn little cars!

All the grief surrounding the big three US makers (less so Ford) revolves around the lack of cars they make that can compete in the world in which we live. No longer, it would seem, are US car buyers prepared to put up with gas-guzzling, low-quality cars. The rise of the Japanese car in the US (Toyota is now the biggest selling car) has put the writing on the wall for years.