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

2014 Volkswagen Polo facelift, new engines and new tech

The 2014 VW Polo (pictured) gets a raft of updates If you want a premium feeling supermini, the VW Polo is hard to beat. And with a mid-cycle facelift, new engines and new technology it’s now even more impressive for 2014. Cosmetically, the facelift is a minor one, with tweaked bumpers and grill, new optional LED headlights, a chrome strip between the fog lights, new alloys, new instruments and steering wheel and a tweaked centre console with HVAC controls.

Off the line: Fun cars and social responsibility Autoweek op-ed stands the test of time

It's been almost 21 years to the day that Autoweek printed Matt DeLorenzo's column “Off the Line: There's room for fast, fun cars in diet of social responsibility.” And in those two decades plus, not much has changed except the vehicles themselves. For example, sports cars like the Bugatti Veyron and Pagani Huayra have astronomically high performance and safety levels; similarly, sport-utility vehicles that haul entire families (and most of their earthly possessions) achieve fuel economy similar to that of 1970s midsize sedans. To read all of DeLorenzo's thoughts and his case for automobiles, click the links to download the article.

Volkswagen to buy Italdesign-Giugiaro

Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p.A could soon become another group under the Volkswagen AG umbrella, according to Automotive News Europe. The industry publication cites two sources that claim the German company is set to buy a controlling stake in Italy's largest design and engineering firm, a deal which could be clinched as early as next week. Founded by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani in 1968, Italdesign-Giugiaro currently has 975 employees and 800 CAD workstations.