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

Bentley uses 3D printing to prototype new designs [w/Video]

3D printing is changing the way the world makes things by helping people of all disciplines to enhance and refine their ideas cheaply, quickly and effectively.  Bentley is the latest carmaker to utilize the technology to fabricate and prototype different parts to see how they'll look and work on the finished design. Using 3D printers, designers can produce parts from the exterior and interior such as the grille, tires, headlamps and door handles as well as combine different types of contrasting materials, ranging from hard plastics to rubbers of different tensile strengths.  The technology allows the user to create a solid 3D object straight from a digital model by printing layers of material on top of each other. This process rapidly decreases the delivery time, as parts can be printed overnight, and allows designers to be more creative in their ideas because of the reduced cost. Bentley isn't the first carmaker to use 3D printing technology. Audi announced last year it was beginning to prototype vehicle parts using 3D printers.

Paolo Pininfarina elected Chairman at Pininfarina SpA

Paolo Pininfarina has been unanimously elected to become Chairman of the Board of Directors at Pininfarina S.p.A., one of the roles previously occupied by his late brother Andrea Pininfarina. The Board of Directors agreed to assign authority over the Group's design operations and Pininfarina Extra to Paolo Pininfarina and also elected to hand over the Group's communications to his sister Lorenza Pininfarina, the Provisional Deputy Chairperson. There has been much speculation about the company's future following the untimely death of CEO Andrea Pininfarina in a traffic accident last week.

Tesla planning car to take on Nissan LEAF – and maybe sell out to Apple

Elon Musk is buoyed by the success of the Tesla S and the seemingly inexorable rise in Tesla’s stock which has allowed Tesla to repay its government loans way ahead of schedule. Now Musk has been getting adventurous in an interview with Bloomberg where he’s stated that the next plan for Tesla is to build a smaller, more affordable electric car that can take on the Nissan LEAF. Musk plans to stay in control of Tesla until plans for a news small EV are complete, and said: With the Model S, you have a compelling car that’s too expensive for most people.