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

Chrysler to close Pacifica Advanced Design Studios

The 20 designers at Chrysler's Pacifica Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad, California will soon be finding themselves out of a job. The struggling North American automaker announced the closure of the facility on Friday, stating that the company is ‘leveraging resources worldwide, forming new joint ventures and alliances and consolidating operations in order to better achieve global balance.' Responsible for many of the more successful designs hailing from Chrysler in recent times, including the Chrysler 300 sedan and the new Dodge Challenger musclecar, the Pacifica Advanced Product Design Center also yielded the Nassau concept car and the Pacifica crossover – bearing the same name as the west coast studios in which it was created. The work done at the Pacifica Advanced Design Center will be consolidated into the Advance Design function in Auburn Hills and continue to be led by Senior Vice President of Design, Trevor Creed.

Mobile phones set to be biggest roads killer

MOBILE PHONES are likely to be the number one cause of fatal collisions on the UK’s roads by 2015. The number of drivers making calls, texting and using social media while driving has risen dramatically, which has led Transport Minister Patrick McLoughlin to propose doubling the number of penalty points added to a driver’s licence if caught using a mobile phone while at the wheel. Figures from the Department for Transport show there were 378 accidents in 2012 that were directly attributed to mobile phone use, with 17 deaths recorded as a result.

Skoda Vision C Concept is a stylish 5-door coupe

The Skoda Vision C Concept could be heading for production as an Octavia Coupe The rise and rise of Skoda since it was a Soviet skip maker has been dramatic under the banner of the VW Group, and many of its cars are the pick of the VW Group offerings. But now Skoda look to be heading in a new design direction which looks set to produce far more stylish and dramatic cars than they have to date – just like this Skoda Vision C Concept. The VisionC – seen in the design sketch from Skoda above – is a swoopy five-door coupe with a low roofline, shallow glass area and a steeply-raked windscreen; it looks like a Skoda take on the VW CC or Mercedes CLA.