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

BMW M3 coupe stripped down to go club racing

BMW's M division is back in the business of building specialty street-legal race cars with a new lightweight version of the M3 called the GTS. The lightweight coupe, set to go on sale in early 2010 at a yet-undisclosed price, was conceived as a limited-edition model primarily for club-based racing in much the same way that Porsche builds the 911 GT3 Clubsport. But in a clear effort to link its track-based activities with the production-car side of its business, BMW's M division is offering the new car with a homologation package that will allow customers to register the M3 GTS for street use.

Collector electrifies a 1955 LaSalle Roadster

Just months after Joe Bortz's unveiling of the restored 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne, the auto archeologist and collector is moving into the second phase of restoration with another General Motors Motorama concept car: the 1955 LaSalle Roadster. But here's the key difference--the LaSalle is going electric. As the LaSalle's motor was never completed, the roadster is considered a “push mobile.” To prepare the car so that it can be driven--rather than pushed--on the road, Bortz has teamed up with Pioneer Conversions, an Illinois business focusing in the electric conversion of various vehicles.

Huntsman U-Box concept explores use of carbon materials

If you attended our Car Design Night at this year's Geneva motor show, you may well have seen the U-Box concept vehicle parked outside the entrance. Developed by Huntsman Advanced Materials, this 'last mile' delivery vehicle is a showcase of the company's composite materials expertise. "The D3 Group [based in Paris] designed the car and also came up with the idea of 'last-mile delivery'," explains Harald Wiedemann, Vice President of Huntsman Advanced Materials (EMEAI).