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

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car revealed

Porsche will bring its latest hybrid know-how to the racetrack in the form of the new 911 GT3 R Hybrid, revealed here for the first time prior to a planned public premiere at the Geneva auto show in early March. Developed by a team of engineers at Porsche's Weissach R&D center, Porsche plans for the stripped-out race car to act as a rolling laboratory. The German carmaker wants to explore the potential of hybrid drivetrains in a racing environment before an expected announcement that it will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a factory capacity, perhaps in 2012, with a race car boasting technology based on that used in the 911 GT3 R Hybrid.

Spied on the street: Porsche Panamera

Yes, Porsche has given up several official photos of the Panamera sedan ahead of the car's expected official rollout at the Shanghai auto show in late April. That means prototypes on the road have stripped off the camouflage. But it's still interesting to see the car in a natural setting.

2013 Hyundai ix35 Facelift spied

An undisguised photo of what appears to be a facelift for the 2013 Hyundai ix35 has appeared on a  Korean site. It’s not yet three years since the Hyundai ix35 was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009 (although it had been seen in Korea earlier), but it looks like the compact SUV from Hyundai is getting a facelift for 2013. The photo above shows an undisguised ix35 / Tucson snapped in Korea and shows a new, more confident nose, big statement grill and fog lights that looks like the might have been borrowed from the new i30.