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

Carroll Shelby honored with Keith Crain achievement award

Famed car designer Carroll Shelby received the 2011 Keith Crain/Automotive News Lifetime Achievement Award on Thursday evening during the Washington auto show. The award is given annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the auto industry. "I accept this award with all of the humility a person could have," Shelby said.

Better Place Electric Car visitor centre opens

Better Place have opened a visitor centre in Israel to demonstrate their battery swap technology for electric cars Last October we wrote about a start-up company in Israel – Better Place – that had a new way forward for electric cars by taking the purchase of battery packs out of the equation, and was developing a system for ‘Battery Swap’ stations where electric car owners could drive in and swap their battery pack for a fully-charged one in a few minutes. That story first brought to our attention our favourite quote of last year – by Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn – who said “A hybrid is like a mermaid: if you want a fish, you get a woman; if you want a woman, you get a fish.” Which probably explained why Nissan – and its partner Renault – got involved with Better Place. Better Place aims to address the main concerns of electric car drivers by making the battery packs in electric cars ‘swappable’.

Nissan previews its MAD Qazana Concept

Hard to know what to say! The Qazana is a huge deal for Nissan. And relatively speaking, an even bigger deal for the workforce in Sunderland.