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

Australia's Holden to cease production after 2017, GM says

General Motors, in the latest blow to Australia's auto industry, will end vehicle and engine manufacturing and scale back engineering operations in the country by the end of 2017. The company's Holden unit, a mainstay in Australia for decades, cited the high cost of manufacturing in one of the world's smallest but most competitive markets and one that has also been upended by a steady rise in imports, mostly from southeast Asia. There has been widespread speculation of the move in recent days and earlier Tuesday, in Australia, GM officials said no decision had been made.

Dacia Duster SUV already selling well in UK

Despite no one in the UK yet having the chance to see or drive the new Dacia Duster SUV, Renault has taken over 1,000 orders. Renault has revealed that the Duster is selling well ahead of its arrival in the UK, despite none of its dealers having their own Duster to coax buyers in to a purchase. In the 100 days since the order book for the Dacia opened, Renault has taken more than 1,000 orders from all round the UK.

Ram truck gets new V6, eight-speed transmission

The Ram pickup scheduled to be introduced in April will offer both the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 and an eight-speed transmission, according to a Chrysler Group filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The voluntary annual filing--which appeared Tuesday on the automaker's corporate Web site, chryslergroupllc.com--laid out many new features of the upcoming version of the automaker's top-selling vehicle. The new eight-speed transmission "reduces fuel consumption by up to 12 percent over our current five-speed transmissions," such as the one now in the Ram, the filing said.