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

2014 Audi R8 to drop manual gearbox

2014 Audi R8 to lose manual gearbox It’s reported that the new Audi R8 – due in 2104 after a facelift in 2012 – will lose the manual gearbox option. It’s at least two years before the next generation Audi R8 arrives in 2014, but if reports from CAR are right then Audi’s next sporting flagship will do without a manual gearbox altogether. With all that’s on offer in the current R8 apart from the manual ‘box being the rather poor R-Tronic ‘box, that may seem like a recipe for sales disaster for the R8.

Ferrari sets personal best in China

It was a solid year for Ferrari in the burgeoning Chinese car market in 2010, as the Italian dream maker racked up its most impressive sales in that country with a tally of 300 cars. Sales were up almost 50 percent compared with 2009 results. With 10 current dealerships and the addition of some new business partners, Ferrari expects the added sales for Hong Kong and Taiwan will elevate the region to one of the company's top five international markets.

UPDATED: Honda hints at new European advanced design studio

On the eve of the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda Design's Creative Director, Toshinobu Minami, announced that the company is looking to once again open a design facility in Europe. The announcement came during a presentation at the R&D Center in Waco, just outside the Japanese capital and, while not confirmed, Minami-san strongly hinted that the UK would be a likely candidate to play host to Honda's revitalized European design operations. He cited the country's existing manufacturing and administration facilities, as well as a wealth of new talent from the Royal College of Art in particular.