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

Driven: Jaguar XF

It is possibly harder to design a Jaguar than any other premium car brand. The essence of the firm's highly regarded design language is over 40 years old with the shadow of the 1961 E-type and 1968 XJ6 - and even the 1955 Mk1/1959 Mk2 - looming large. For decades the design group has taken cues from these old designs and reinterpreted them to appease the traditionalist Jaguar customer, but in doing so they have reinforced the 'old-man' image of Jaguar and pushed many customers to Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Chevrolet six-month global sales highest in a century

Chevrolet saw 2.35 million global sales in the first six months of 2011--its best first-half mark in 100 years. The automaker credits the success of new small-car models for much of the growth, namely the Cruze compact, the Spark minicar, the Aveo/Sonic small car and the Orlando MPV. Chevrolet sales increased 14 percent in the United States from the same half-year period in 2010, with 286,499 more units sold.

Ram 1500 EcoDiesels are selling like hotcakes so far

We've been anticipating the arrival of the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel -- and speculating about what it means for the pickup market -- for months. On paper, the truck seems to make perfect sense: The 3.0-liter V6 in the 1500 EcoDiesel returns 23 mpg combined (20 city/28 highway) while producing 240 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. After taking it for a spin, the $30,465 base price didn't seem too bad, either.