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

Donato Coco Appointed Director of Design for Lotus Group

After his non-publicized departure from Ferrari earlier this year, in which Flavio Manzoni was appointed to take his place, Donato Coco has now resurfaced. Lotus has announced Coco's appointment to Director of Design for Group Lotus starting January 4, 2010. In this newly created role, Coco, an Italian national, will lead all Lotus Design activities for Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering.

The last Volvo XC90 rolls off the production line to make way for the all new 2015 XC90

The last Volvo XC90 rolls off the production line in Sweden. When the current Volvo XC90 arrived in 2002 it staked a claim as the perfect family SUV, a role it’s managed to hang on to – more or less – even though the XC90 is now long past its sell-by date. That’s because the 2002 XC90 was so cleverly conceived in the first place, with family-friendly ease of access to the back row of seats, inflatable side curtains for all three rows of seats, an integrated adjustable booster cushion for children, safety belt tensioners for all seats, easy to drive, decent looking and almost classless.

Hyundai ix20 (2010) first official teaser sketch

Hyundai is the latest car manufacturer to join the mini-MPV party, with the upcoming ix20, and ahead of its preview at the Paris motor show at the end of this month, the Korean company has released this teaser sketch. Designed and developed at Hyundai’s European research and development centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the ix20 is essentially Hyundai’s version of sister firm Kia’s Venga.  Hyundai would have you believe it’s a little bit of both – the ‘ix’ moniker has been chosen to suggest its cross-over like capability. The Korean manufacturer says the ix20 is ‘a vehicle with the ability to simultaneously serve as a functional people-carrier while providing a dynamic, fun-to-drive experience’; the Venga has shown that it’s a capable and competent, if unexciting, small MPV.