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

BMW wins engine of year

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 09 May 2007 05:51 BMW’s twin turbo 3.0-litre engine – the mighty 306bhp straight six from the 335i - has taken top honours at the 2007 International Engine of the Year Awards, the engineering equivalent of the Oscars. This is an unprecedented third year in a row that BMW has clinched the title of International Engine of the Year Award – in 2006 it was the M6’s V10 that took the title, and the M5’s V10 claimed gold in 2005. Other winners, judged by the panel of 62 motoring journalists from 30 countries across the globe, included Porsche for its biturbo 3.6-litre flat six (unbelievably, the first time Zuffenhausen has won an IEYA award), Toyota for the Prius’ 1.5-litre hybrid unit, and Volkswagen’s TSI twincharger 1.4-litre unit.

Daihatsu to debut three Kopen concepts in Tokyo

Three new Daihatsu Kopen concepts have been revealed ahead of their unveiling at next month's Tokyo motor show. The blue and orange concepts are the RMZ model – although they feature slight differences – while the green car is the XMZ model. The concepts measure in at 3,395mm long, 1,475mm wide and 1,275mm tall and, like the recently discontinued Copen, fit into the Japanese ‘Kei' light car category.

The Future Role of the Vehicle Designer

The vehicle design department at the Royal College of Art hosted the second in a series of five lectures looking at the future of the profession last week. Moving on from the previous week's topic of sustainability, this debate explored the future roles and responsibilities of the vehicle designer. Head of department Dale Harrow began by posing the question "Is it time to rethink – do we still need the car?" Although still relevant, Harrow's ultimate answer to this was that the profession was about to see marked change, with the end to an era where "designers are locked behind closed doors in studios".