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

Renault Initiale Paris stars at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

It may seem like a strange idea for Renault to launch its Initiale Paris premium sub-brand at a German motor show, but it could turn out to be quite an astute move. The French brand is hoping to take on the Germans with Initiale Paris, so showcasing this rather wonderful concept in Frankfurt is a clear signal of intent. Renault says this Initiale Paris concept previews the next generation Espace, but we can't help but see a massive dollop of Renault Avantime when we take a wander around the car.

Volkswagen Polo R WRC Street previews production VW Polo R

Volkswagen Polo R WRC Street The Volkswagen Polo R WRC Street that’s heading for the Worthersee Tour previews a production model of the VW Polo R. This time last year Ulrich Hackenberg, a VW Board member, confirmed that VW intended to build a production Polo R, and the Volkswagen Polo R WRC Street that’s arrived at the Worthersee Tour this week gives us a pretty good idea of what a Polo R will offer. VW make no mention of a 4WD platform for the Polo R in the stuff they’ve sent us, but with a 4WD version of the Polo platform developed for the Audi S1 and the Polo WRC car it seems likely VW’s new baby pocket rocket will be 4WD too.

Porsche Panamera designer focused on rear-seat passengers

There's no mistaking it for anything but a Porsche, but with four doors and four full seats, the Panamera is like no previous Porsche. Styled by a team of in-house designers under the direction of Michael Mauer, the Panamera is 195.7 inches long, 76.0 inches wide and 55.8 inches tall--making it slightly shorter but wider and lower than the Maserati Quattroporte, with which it shares a coupelike profile. As with all such silhouettes, "the real challenge is giving the rear-seat passengers enough headroom," says Mauer.