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

VW BlueSport Concept moves nearer to reality

We reported last week on the VW BlueSport Concept, a relatively economical 2 seat roadster, which VW unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show. We said then that if we were VW we’d be pressing the start button as soon as possible, and reports seem to indicate that that is exactly what VW are hoping to do. The secret to the success of the BlueSport will be the ability of the VW Group as a whole to find three platforms within its setup that can produce viable models based on the BlueSport Concept.

Ford Escort returns – for China: Shanghai Motor Show

The Ford Escort Concept has been built by Ford with the aim of taking a sizeable chunk of China’s compact saloon market – estimated at 5.5 million sales a year – and looks remarkably production viable and far from ‘budget’. Escort is a badge China knows – there are plenty of old Escorts floating around Chinese roads – so it’s a sensible move by Ford to revive a badge that already resonates as a compact, affordable saloon with Chinese car buyers. This new Escort gets a proper version of Ford’s latest design language – including the Aston Martin grill – and has good lines and strong detail including jeweled headlights with the lucky Chinese ’8′ discernible ; it looks entirely cohesive and nothing like a Focus with a boot grafted on.

General Motors boosts output of the Cadillac CTS V6 for 2012

General Motors has reworked the 3.6-liter V6 engine used in the CTS for the 2012 model year, boosting output while maintaining the fuel-economy ratings of the less-powerful V6 from 2011. The 2012 version of the V6 delivers 318 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. That compares with 304 hp and 273 lb-ft for the 2011 version.