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

Toyota Avalon [w/gallery]

Toyota has revealed more details and pictures of its Avalon sedan, first seen at last year's New York auto show. The Avalon, designed at the carmaker's Calty design studio, offers a glimpse of Toyota's new emphasis on design and to help reposition its flagship sedan within the premium mid-size segment. The height has been reduced by 25 mm while the overhangs have been reduced by 15 mm at the front and 45 mm at the rear.

Nissan Friend-ME – looks better than it sounds: Shanghia Motor Show

Nissan has built the Friend-ME (which must rank as one of the most useless car monikers ever) to appeal to the potentially huge market of ‘B?línghòu’ buyers, a group of buyers, born in the 1980s, who grew up as single children thanks to China’s ‘One Child’ policy. Nissan sees this group as totally reliant on their network of friends for support, and has built a car that owners can enjoy with their friends on an equal basis. So every one of the four seats gets full instrumentation - SatNav, Fuel, Speed – and an ‘Oracle Stone’ runs down the centre of the cabin which can display whatever content the occupants want from their connected Smartphones and tablets.

Karim Habib to Head Exterior Design at BMW

It was only a matter of time before we expected a talented designer to fill the position vacated by Anders Warming when he was promoted to the role of Design Director at Mini. News of that new appointment was revealed today and, as of March 2011, Karim Habib will become the new Head of Exteriors at BMW Design. No stranger to BMW Design, Habib comes back to the Munich-based carmaker after a two year absence, during which time he worked for rival German carmaker Mercedes-Benz.