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

Susie Wolff ready to make F1 history

SUSIE WOLFF is ready to make Formula One history on Friday, although is eager to play down its apparent significance. It has been 22 years since a woman took part in a grand prix weekend, with Italian Giovanna Amati failing to qualify in the opening three races of the 1992 campaign in a woeful Brabham before being replaced by a promising young Briton at the time - Damon Hill. On Friday, in her role as Williams development driver, 31-year-old Wolff will compete in Friday's first practice session for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, taking over the wheel from Valtteri Bottas.

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.

Aston Martin Cygnet planned for 2011 production

Aston Martin said on Monday that the Cygnet--a reworked version of the Toyota iQ city car--will go into production in 2011. The Cygnet, which was shown as a concept car at the Geneva motor show in March, is just less than 10 feet long. "Our customers need a small car for urban and city use and they want the right tools for the right job, to downsize creatively without compromising intelligence, artistry and personality," said Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez.