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

GM's Ed Whitacre meets the press in Web chat

General Motors' new front man, Ed Whitacre, remains a bit of an elusive figure in the car world. But at the very least, the former telecom honcho who's now the leader of the nation's largest automaker does like cars. “Oh yes,” he answered in response to that question during a Web chat on Tuesday, one of his first interactions with the media so far in his tenure at the helm of GM.

2013 Aston Martin DB9 doubles down with vaunted V12

The 2013 Aston Martin DB9 is getting a power boost thanks to parts and pieces from under the hood of the upcoming Vanquish. The updated DB9 borrows some of the engine architecture and hardware from the Vanquish, enabling output from the 5.9-liter V12 to reach 510 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. Those are considerable increases compared with today's car, which is rated at 470 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque.

Economic downturn might hit plans for Porsche small roadster

Porsche's decision on whether to build an entry-level roadster will depend on the global economy, CEO Matthias Mueller said. Mueller said that if the automaker decides to go ahead with the car, sales would begin at the earliest in the third quarter of 2014, but probably later. A decision on production will depend on how the global economic situation pans out, particularly in relation to the auto industry, Mueller said.