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

Behind The Scenes: Hot Wheels Design Studio [w/Video]

Hot Wheels' vice president of design Felix Holst has spent some time chatting to Cool Hunting about the brand's design philosophy at its Design Studio at Mattel's headquarters in El Segundo, California, in a new video. According to Holst Hot Wheels has evolved from being focused on muscle cars and V8 engines to being all about technology as a reflection of the new generation they're designing for.  He explains the benefits of designing over 240 vehicles a year that aren't limited by rules and regulations, saying in a studio that's driven by pushing the boundaries, it's a question of just how wild they can get.  The video really captures not only the men's passion for their jobs but the fun they have doing it. Small wonder Holst says he'd never go back to car design, and reveals the studio is packed with qualified car designers who chose Hot Wheels over conventional jobs in the industry.  We also hear from Hot Wheels Car Maker's designer Julian Payne, who explains how the new Car Maker – which gives you the chance to mold your own custom Hot Wheels at home – works.

Maserati announces names of new saloon, SUV at Paris

Maserati announced the names of three of its forthcoming new cars at the 2012 Paris motor show. From 2013, Fiat's upmarket sports luxury wing will finally launch a barrage of new product to overcome worries it's just producing endless versions of its existing range. The new Maserati Quattroporte will be launched at the 2013 Detroit auto show in January.

Peugeot at the London motor show 2008

By Guy Bird and CAR reader reporter SandyT Motor Shows 24 July 2008 10:29 Pride of place might have gone to the UK unveil of the RCZ concept but a scissor-door Irmscher 207 GTi was the real surprise on the Peugeot stand. The 207 GTi by Irmscher is a study of how far a highly tricked-out production Peugeot could look. It’s no clunky concept either.