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

Pioneer App Radio officially unveiled

Pioneer has officially unveiled the App Radio that AutoWeek told you about earlier this month. Now that it's willing to talk, Pioneer claims that the radio and audio system is "the first in-vehicle product designed to utilize the processing power, storage capacity, network connectivity and apps of the iPhone and iPod Touch as the primary source for its information and entertainment capabilities." That does sound a lot like what Mini Connected and, in a more platform-agnostic sense, Ford Sync are doing. Pioneer said it couldn't speak to the similarity of those systems, but Ted Cardenas, director of marketing for Pioneer's car-electronics division, briefed us on installation of the device and what Pioneer is doing to minimize driver distraction.

Alfa Romeo 159 – upgrades for 2010

Alfa Romeo has updated the 159 for 201 with new trim levels and two new engines The Alfa 159 is arguably the best looking compact executive saloon on the market. We know, it doesn’t sell as well as the German competition, but it is a fine looking car and has a great deal of ‘Alfa-ness’ about it. But Alfa has decided a few tweaks are needed, so it’s throwing a couple of new engines at the 159 and having a play with the trim options.

Subaru XV gets world’s first self-cleaning function (+ video)

Subaru UK has revealed that the Subaru XV Crossover can now be specified with the world’s first self-cleaning function for a car. It’s a decent effort from Subaru, with added credibility as a compact urban warrior coming from Subaru’s 4WD prowess, a choice of a couple of petrol engines and a couple of diesels, manual or auto options and prices from £21k to £30k. But in a crowded market place it’s good to have a USP, so Subaru has pushed the boat out and is offering a world first for the Subaru XV – a self-cleaning function.