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

Richard Petty Experience branches out, adds exotic-car driving programs

Stock-car legend Richard Petty is in the market for a few new cars: a couple of Ferraris, a pair of Lamborghinis, an Audi R8 and a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. That's because the Richard Petty Driving Experience is branching out from offering rides and drives in NASCAR-style stock cars. Beginning in January, at least one of the Petty facilities will offer rides and drives in exotic cars.

2012 BMW 1-series gets light freshening

BMW is lightly updating the 1-series coupe and convertible for 2012 with several sporty modifications. The 128i and the 135i get air curtains for the front fascia to counter aerodynamic drag. Other refinements include accents for the headlights and taillights and light finishings for the interior.

The Hidden Work of Design Consultancies

Most major car companies carry out most of their design work themselves, with dedicated design departments increasingly capable of handling every aspect of the design process. But few car companies do not use the services of external car design consultancies for some smaller projects, and many smaller car companies use such consultancies to supplement their more limited in-house design facilities on larger design projects. Throughout the world there are numerous companies offering these design services to car companies.