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

Carroll Shelby honored with Keith Crain achievement award

Famed car designer Carroll Shelby received the 2011 Keith Crain/Automotive News Lifetime Achievement Award on Thursday evening during the Washington auto show. The award is given annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the auto industry. "I accept this award with all of the humility a person could have," Shelby said.

Exclusive: Pierre Castinel resigns from Head of Design role at Tata

Tata's Head of Design, Pierre Castinel, has resigned from his post to accept a position at PSA, Car Design News has learned. Castinel was originally hired to develop the design direction and form a brand identity for Tata's full line of vehicles, including cars, pickups, SUVs, MPVs, trucks and buses, but things haven't been going well at the Indian automaker. According to insiders, Tata closed Castinel's design studio in the British midlands last year, forcing the UK-based team to move into the automaker's engineering center in Warwickshire.

BMW X1 US launch delayed – because the new X3 is so good

BMW X1 - not in the US until late 2012 It would have been inconceivable just a few years ago that there could ever be a market in the US for a car like the BMW X1. But times have changed and even Americans see the benefits of a (much) smaller SUV, so BMW was originally planning on launching the X1 in the US around now. That X1 launch got put back until later in 2011 because the Leipzig plant – which builds the X1 – was running at capacity to meet the demands from Europe.