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

Man-made Modern Luxury Materials in Cars

Luxury, within the context of a car interior, has been closely related to the use of wood and leather for over a century. These natural materials have a familiar organic, tactile quality that are intrinsically desirable attributes for most people and, in today's mass manufactured plastic world, they also assume a luxury or premium quality. Throughout the last century, metal, leather and wood have also been progressively supplanted by bakelite, vinyl and then polymer-based plastic materials in car interiors as well.

Who's Where: Fabio Filippini appointed Design Director at Pininfarina

Famed Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina will soon welcome a new Design Director into the fold. Fabio Filippini, an Italian who has worked in France, Japan and Spain, will join the design house from April 1 2011, filling the roll previously vacated by Lowie Vermeersch late last year. Fabio Filippini joins Pininfarina from his previous role as Vice President of Interiors at Renault Design.

New Renault Scenic – UK prices and models

New Renault Scenic prices announced for the UK Renault are making big play of how cheap the new Scenic is, saying it costs over £2,000 less than the Ford C-Max, and the new range starts at over £2,000 less than the old model. Which, in these constrained times, is not bad news at all. But the range of Scenic models and options is a little confusing, to say the least.