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

Honda introduces GEAR concept in Montreal

We already know that Europe often gets better cars than we do in the United States, but now Canada is getting in on the action, too. At the press days of the Montreal International Auto Show, the Japanese company introduced the Honda GEAR Concept. The car is reportedly inspired by fixed-gear bicycles -- gag me with a spoon -- and Honda says it's simple, utilitarian, but also customizable.

Nissan creates a self-cleaning Note – and this one’s for real. (video)

The Nissan Note that cleans itself The Sunday chore of cleaning the car is beloved (and loathed, in equal measure) by those who’d rather do it themselves than pay a man with a bucket, a sponge and a chamois  to oblige. But regular car washing – for anyone – could be a thing of the past thanks to a new nano-paint technology. The newly developed super-hydrophobic and oleophobic paint manages to repel water and oil, which means stuff like everyday dirt, mud and rain don’t have the chance to cling to the car’s paintwork.

Crashing the Pixar Motorama car show

The animated film studio Pixar sits behind newly aged brick walls on a sprawling campus in the East Bay that looks and seems a little like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, especially since you can't get inside. But we've been inside, and it is a pretty wonderful place. On July 12 Pixar's Jay Ward, guardian of the "Cars" franchise and all the wheeled wonders that entails, organized the latest Pixar Motorama, the greatest car show you'll never see.