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

Art Center Summit 2009

The Art Center Summit, now in its third year, has finally seen the rest of the world catch up with its preoccupations. Initially conceived in 2006-07 to bring government, academic, and business leaders to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, to discuss issues related to mobility and sustainability, the summit has benefited from the financial turmoil that has recently gripped the world. Previously, the event was highly speculative and appealed mainly to designers working in the advanced mobility community; this year, the summit occurred against a backdrop of meltdown in the US auto industry, chaos in the global financial sector, and a growing realization - supported by the incoming Obama administration - that energy and transportation policy will form a key part of a Green future.

Ford shuffles European production

Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday it is realigning its European production in a move that will add two models at the carmaker's Valencia, Spain, factory and an electric version of the Focus at the Saarlouis, Germany, plant. Ford also said the B-Max small wagon will be built in its Craiova, Romania, factory and the plant will add a second, as-yet-unnamed small-segment model.

Honda N-ONE [w/Gallery]

Honda's N-ONE mini-vehicle, the third model of the its new N Series, has gone on sale across Japan. The retro, boxy N-ONE was developed in the style of the 1967 N360 and uses Honda's M/M (man maximum, machine minimum) design language. It also takes a number of recognizable design cues from the widely praised EV-N concept that was unveiled at the 2009 Tokyo motor show.