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

MIT develops self-transforming materials that behave 'like robots without robots'

A cross-disciplinary research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a suite of programmable materials, including carbon fiber, printed wood grain, textile composites, rubbers and plastics, that self-transform when exposed to an external stimulus. Director of the Self-Assembly Lab, Skylar Tibbits, presented a TED talk on 4D printing in 2013, where he demonstrated how a flat sheet of material could effectively build itself when exposed to water, like a robot without a robot. Following positive feedback from industries including aviation, automotive and manufacturing, his lab has been working on developing materials that change according to different activation sources, including heat, light, and air pressure, in addition to water – all of which have automotive relevance.

Nissan packages its Cube for U.S. delivery later this year

Nissan's quirkily styled Cube has just been released in Japan and will be coming stateside this year. We drove the all-new model and came away impressed with the improvement Nissan made for its U.S. introduction.

Majestic Bentley to be auctioned for charity

A SUPREMELY elegant 1987 Bentley 8 is to be auctioned for charity as part of a sale including more than 150 cars. The majestic Bentley will take its place amongst the myriad other fine classic cars at the Historics at Brooklands auction in Surrey on Saturday, June 7, following the sad news of the death of the car’s current owner’s sister. Significantly, this much-loved and well-travelled Bentley – presented in fine condition inside and out – is offered at no reserve, with all proceeds from the sale donated to charity at the request of the vendor, plus Historics’ sellers and buyers’ commissions.