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

Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost wins engine of the year

Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine was named the 2013 International Engine of the Year on Wednesday, marking the second consecutive year it has done so. The engine also took home the highest score in the history of the awards, along with a “Best Engine Under 1.0-liters” category. The tiny engine packs a respectable punch for its size, producing 123 hp and 148 lb-ft or torque (Specs may be different pending specific model the engine is in).

Smart Forspeed concept signals new design direction

Smart will unveil a new concept at the forthcoming Geneva motor show that signals a new design direction, hints at future product and confirms parent company Daimler's renewed commitment to the brand. Car Design News was granted early access to the concept, baptized Forspeed, at a secret photography studio in Stuttgart last week and heard the head of advanced design, Steffen Kohl, explain how the two-seat, electric-powered vehicle prefaces design themes in both the next Fortwo and the revived Forfour, which will be launched in 2014. "The fullness of this concept's exterior surfaces is important and will be reflected in future production models," said Kohl, "Smart will still be short, spacey, agile, and with wheels at the corners of the car, but with an added sporty and emotional design and without losing all the brand's iconic elements like its ‘plastic fantastic' aspect and the safe and hi-tech modular tridion shell assembled with all these changeable body parts.

Land Rover DC100 Sport (2011) at Frankfurt motor show

Land Rover has unveiled a second Defender concept car at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. We’ve already seen the DC100, and now there’s the DC100 Sport. Land Rover has built them both to gauge public interest and decide in which direction the next Defender – due in 2015 – should be engineered.