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

Michelin Challenge Design 2007: The not so ugly truth about rising vehicle safety standards

Can cars be safe and beautiful at the same time? That may not have been the case a few decades ago when automakers were forced to hang those big, ugly so-called federal bumpers off the ends of their vehicles.  With vehicle safety standards on the rise around the globe are designers today feeling a little '70s deja vu when it comes to meeting the challenges of making cars safe as well as more fuel efficient? "(Back then) we said it was the end of automotive styling," says Patrick Le Quement, senior vice president for corporate design at Renault and one of the world's most influential automotive designers.

Kia Proceed (2012) first offical pictures

Kia will launch the next derivative of the Ceed at the Paris motor show: the Proceed three-door model. It follows the Sportswagon estate and regular hatch, and will likely keep the same range of four-cylinder engines and six-speed gearboxes. The 2012 Kia Proceed three-door Like the last Proceed, the new car gets an unfortunately silly name, which we won't dignify with its shameful grammar here.

Toyota resumes sales of Lexus GX 460

Toyota has resumed sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV, two weeks after it announced a recall of the 9,400 models already sold. The Japanese automaker stopped sales of the vehicle after Consumer Reports magazine declared the SUV a safety risk, warning readers that it was prone to oversteer in turns. Lexus tested the car in response to the warning and made changes to the vehicle's electronic stability-control software.