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

Color & trim focus: Six of Poltrona Frau’s auto collaborations

Collaborations between the car industry and the world of product design are fraught with difficulties, are usually fleeting and all too often end in (marketing department) tears. One of the few possible exceptions is Italian leather and furniture company Poltrona Frau. Its 102-year history includes the 904 ‘Vanity Fair' chair from 1930 and the more-recent 2009 Archibald chair by Jean-Marie Massaud.

BMW i3 EV: More than 8,000 ordered already

The BMW i3 EV already has 8k orders BMW has invested heavily in their new ‘i’ range of electric cars – as much as £2 billion it’s estimated – with the ‘i’ cars being developed from scratch rather than based on an existing BMW model. The first BMW i to be launched is the compact city car BMW i3, revealed in production form in July, which costs from around £30k for the regular EV and an extra 10 per cent for the i3 with a range extender engine. Despite being revealed in July BMW has not yet officially put the i3 on sale, but that hasn’t stopped potential buyers lining up to palce a reservation, with more than 8,000 already signed-up for an i3.

Driver in Paul Walker crash was racer in his own right: Roger Rodas: 1975-2013

You know the headline: “Fast and the Furious” star Paul Walker died Saturday when the driver of the red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that Walker was riding in lost control in a business park drive, wrapped the Porsche around a tree, and then the Porsche burned. But less likely to make headlines was the death of the driver of the car, Walker's friend for nearly a decade, Roger Rodas, who became Walker's formal business partner and financial advisor in 2007. The crash, which occurred about 3:30 p.m., was near the end of a charity event that the tuner and racing company they operated – Rodas was the CEO -- Always Evolving, announced on the company's web site: “Our next open house and car meet is November 30th from 10 a.m.