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

Extreme sports safety kit to inspire Volvo technologies

SWEDISH car maker Volvo is aiming to develop new safety technologies based on processes used to make extreme sports safety gear. The firm has announced a partnership with POC, another Swedish company, which designs lightweight, strong and high-tech safety equipment for climbers, snowboarders, mountain bikers and other extreme sports fanatics. The initial focus will be on the relationship between cars and cyclists, with the specific aim of developing a one-way method of communicating that the driver has seen the cyclist.

GM to slash global vehicle platforms by more than half, to 14, by 2018

General Motors says it will cut the number of vehicle platforms it uses globally by more than half over the next decade, in a bid to reduce complexity and save on product-development costs. “More of our components will be common, and more of our vehicles will be on global architectures,” GM CEO Dan Akerson told analysts on Tuesday. His remarks came as GM kicked off a series of presentations online, billed as its 2011 Global Business Conference.

Brits take the world steam land speed record – twice +video

The British Steam Car Challenge team has set a new land speed record for a steam car at 148.308mph All of which tends to suggest – admirable though the achievement is – that steam technology has not moved on much in 100 years. An improvement of around 1mph a decade. Still, a challenge is a challenge, and the team on the British Steam Car Challenge rose to the occasion.