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

Who's Where: John Puskar and Liz Wetzel appointed to new roles at GM Design

As part of an ongoing strategy at General Motors, this past month has seen a series of moves taking place within the company's design organization in Europe and the US. Two of the key changes have been the appointment of John Puskar to the role of Director of Cross-Brand Strategy, C&T and Components in North America, and that of Liz Wetzel, who has been named Director of GME Design Interior – effectively filling Puskar's role. Puskar, who until recently headed the Opel/Vauxhall Interior Design at the European Design Center in Russelsheim, Germany, majored in Industrial Design at the Cleveland Institute of Art and worked at Ford in both the USA and Germany before joining General Motors as a creative designer at the GMC Brand Center in 1999.

Buick LaCrosse with eAssist priced at $30,820

The freshly stickered 2012 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist will start at $30,820, including destination costs, the brand said on Wednesday. Buick says the 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist is rated at 37 mpg in highway driving, a 25 percent improvement over the 2011 LaCrosse. The improvement comes from eAssist, a mild hybrid system that uses a belt-driven electric motor-generator and a lithium-ion battery pack.

Audi previews refreshed R8 in Twitter image

Audi's R8 halo machine is getting a light update, and the freshened model will go on sale in the United States early in 2013. Audi released European specifications this week. U.S.