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

AutoWeek's Keith Crain receives Mercedes Star Driver award

AutoWeek editor-in-chief Keith Crain recently received the Star Driver award from Mercedes-Benz, an honor that recognizes an individual who has made great contributions to motorsports and the automobile industry. Crain, shown at left with Geoff Day, director of communications at Mercedes-Benz USA, is the sixth recipient of the Star Driver honor. He joins the ranks of Sir Stirling Moss, John Fitch, Jochen Mass, Jesse Alexander and AutoWeek senior contributing editor Denise McCluggage.

2010 LA Design Challenge entrants revealed

Entries for the 2010 Los Angeles Design Challenge have now been revealed. The futuristic proposals, which called for designers to envision a 1000lbs (454kg) 2+2 vehicle that delivers comfort, safety and satisfactory driving performance without sacrificing the emotional connection today's consumers demand from their vehicles, come from the west coast design studios of seven automakers – General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota and Volvo. For the first time since the Challenge's inception, studios outside California have also been allowed to enter the competition.

Mercedes-Benz replaces CLK with E-class coupe

After a 12-year run and more than 460,000 sales across two generations, Mercedes-Benz has replaced the CLK with the 2010 E-class coupe. Debuting at next month's Geneva motor show and with U.S. sales slated to begin in June, the upmarket two-door represents a departure from its predecessor not only in name but also on a technical basis, switching from the old C-class platform to a modified version of the structure that underpins the recently revealed E-class sedan.