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

Beattie joins Fisker as prices climb

Fisker Automotive, maker of the luxury hybrid Fisker Karma, has appointed luxury-brands executive Richard Beattie to the newly created position of chief commercial officer. Beattie will be responsible for sales, marketing and customer service for the brand. Beattie comes from a strong run as executive vice president of sales and marketing for Jaguar North America and, before that, for Jaguar Land Rover North America, positions which followed a career at Ford, where he was most recently president and CEO of Mazda’s North American operations.

Investindustrial take 37.5 per cent stake in Aston Martin

InvestIndustrial – former owners of Ducati – have taken a 37.5 per cent stake in Aston Martin for £150 million. We’ve been proclaiming for more than a year that Aston Martin needs new investment, and AML finally confirmed as much a few weeks ago. And just yesterday we revealed a deal for Aston Martin was now a one horse race.

Ken Block signs for Ford and the WRC

Ken Block – who became a YouTube sensation with his gymkhana stunt series ¬– has ended months of speculation by confirming he’ll compete in the 2010 World Rally Championship – switching his Subaru Impreza for a Ford Focus, while he'll also rally a Fiesta in the US. The Monster energy drink-backed deal will form a key part of Ford’s plan to market its hatches in America, and follows last year’s Pikes Peak Fiesta. It’s a tentative start for Block, who’ll be competing in select rounds of the WRC championship – Mexico is believed to be the first – to hone his skills.