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

This could be your first autonomous vehicle

While Google's autonomous fleet of robot cars prowls Silicon Valley and gets all the press, the first, or one of the first, truly autonomous vehicles you may ride in could be something like this: The humble, people-moving Navia. Developed by a French company called Induct, the Navia is ringed with laser beams (not frickin' laser beams. Ed.) that help it navigate through city streets or college campuses without the aid of a track in the ground, a rail or even GPS (GPS is not accurate enough, Induct says).

Jetstream SC250 (2008): first pictures

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 26 August 2008 09:32 This is the new Jetstream SC250, a Cornwall-based newcomer to Britain’s low-volume sportscar industry – and arguably the most eye-wateringly ugly car we’ve seen in a very long time. The lightweight two-seater is powered by Vauxhall’s turbo 2.0-litre unit – lifted from the Astra VXR – and it’s priced at £29,495. Err, yes – we also feel the SC250’s looks might be a bit of a stumbling block to someone about to flash the best part of £30k on a track-based racer.

CES: Cranking up Harman's QuantumLogic 3D surround-sound system

Yesterday we reported how Audi was readying a lavish 3D sound experience with 23 speakers and 1,400 watts of goosebump-inducing audio power. Not to be outdone, Harman had been quietly developing a system of its own: Quantum Logic 3D brings together 25 speakers and more than 2,000 watts of Tubthumping power to a new car near you, like driving inside Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Sitting inside the demonstration BMW 7-Series that Harman painstakingly lifted into the Studio at the Palms, Global Audio Engineering vice president Phil Muzio explained, "great music is delivered in stereo, yet our consumer research indicates that people enjoy surround sound." QuantumLogic 3D's surround sound expands beyond the boundaries of the vehicle's cabin, providing "a sense of detail and spatial placement that you don't get in stereo." Five height component speakers mounted in the corners of the headliner, and above the rearview mirror, elevates audio beyond the confines of the roof, "almost like you're in a convertible," said Muzio.