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

Honda shows off Concept C and Concept S at Beijing motor show

Alongside the Chinese introduction of its new ILX and RDX, Honda rolled out two concept vehicles that the company says presage new models to hit the Chinese market. The “C” in “Concept C” apparently stands for “cool,” “challenge” and “China,” which is er, um, iffy, but at least it's a departure from Honda's as-of-late anodyne exterior design. Though it rather closely resembles a late-model Hyundai dressed up in Super Sentai garb, Honda claims that the C's design was inspired by a dragon.

Driving age to be raised to 18?

A government-commissioned report has recommended probationary driving licences are in future issued from the age of 18, not 17 – and that learner drivers would be required to invest big in getting a licence. The new proposals would still see provisional driving licences issues from 17, allowing learners to get out on the road under supervision. However, learners would have to undertake a 12-month ‘learner stage’, in which they’d have to cover a minimum of 100 hours’ supervised driving.

Toyota 4Runner

Toyota unveiled the fifth-generation 4Runner at the 2009 LA Auto Show. The new design embraces its robust SUV identity more than its immediate predecessors, which also distinguishes it from the similarly sized but more urban Toyota Highlander sibling. To read our opinions of the new 4Runner's design see our 2009 LA Auto Show Highlights.