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

Exclusive: Laurens van den Acker to replace Patrick le Quément at Renault

The wheels of change are continuing to turn within the automotive design industry, with yet another new appointment being made at the director level. According to industry insiders, Laurens van den Acker is set become the new Design Director at Renault when Patrick le Quément retires later this year. One of the most pre-eminent car designers in the world, Patrick le Quément began his design career at Simca, worked at Ford for 17 years and did a brief stint at Volkswagen before taking the top design job at Renault.

Awesome video of Porsche engine teardown

If you’re considering tearing down the 3.2-liter air-cooled flat-six in your 1984-1989 Porsche 911 , this stop-motion video should help motivate you. Skipping past all the stuck fasteners, broken parts and most of the unpleasant discoveries you’ll encounter when pulling any old engine apart has a way of making a full teardown seem downright manageable. But, whether you have an old 911 or not, this video is mighty entertaining and definitely worth a look.

Skoda Fabia concept

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 06 March 2007 03:50 Skoda looks to the Mini for Fabia body kit Expect to see some Mini-inspired styling cues on Skoda's new Fabia, taken from this concept car unveiled today at the Geneva show. Tucked in a corner alongside a rally car concept, the funked-up Fabia had a silver roof and door mirror caps; although not yet officially confirmed for production, officials reckon the new look will make it to showrooms, unlike a Fabia Scout faux-by-four, which was ruled out. The Fabia goes on sale in May for around £8000.