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

Insurance group lists its Top Safety Picks

After increasing its standards for 2011 models, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that 66 vehicles--more than double the 2010 total--rate as best in the industry at protecting passengers from front, side, rollover and rear crashes. Only 27 vehicles qualified last year after the group, funded by the insurance industry, required that vehicles pass a roof-strength test to earn a good rating, claiming that stronger roofs would reduce the risk of serious or fatal injury by 50 percent in a rollover accident. The most mentioned carmakers on the 2011 list are Hyundai/Kia and Volkswagen/Audi, both with nine vehicles to get the Top Safety Pick designation.

Kia Ray plug-in Hybrid revealed

Kia has revealed their plug-in hybrid concept - the Kia Ray - at the Chicago Motor Show A few weeks ago we reported on a tease from Kia of the Kia Ray Concept they were taking along to Detroit’s lower key motor show sibling – the Chicago Motor Show. And true to their word they revealed the Kia Ray at Chicago – and a convincing Prius rival it looks. Instead of the stodgy mainstream hybrids churned out to date by (mainly) the Japanese, the Kia looks like a breath of fresh air.

NHTSA studies unintended-acceleration complaints in 'repaired' Toyotas

U.S. regulators are investigating 10 recent cases in which owners of recalled Toyota vehicles say they brought their cars in for repair and yet still experienced unintended acceleration. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has started contacting consumers about these complaints “to make sure Toyota is doing everything possible to make its vehicles safe,” agency chief David Strickland said in an e-mailed statement.