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

Design Essay: Are smart roads just around the corner?

In order to remain relevant, the car must constantly evolve. But while almost all attention focuses on four wheels, the roads that facilitate an automobile's progress have remained relatively unaltered since Eisenhower formed the National Highway system in the 1950s. With environmental concerns getting ever higher on the agenda, there is an opportunity to think outside the (metal) box and rethink the road, making it as smart as the vehicles and devices that travel upon it.

Lexus sales rising strongly in Europe – up 33 per cent in Western Europe

The new Lexus IS (pictured) is leading Lexus’s sales growth in europe There’s lots to like about the Lexus range (even if we would like to see proper gearboxes proliferate), and it seems buyers across Europe are getting more and more enamoured of Toyota’s luxury brand. Lexus are reporting soaring sales in Europe so far in 2014, with sales up by 25.4 per cent over the same period in 2013 (and by 33 per cent in Western Europe) and the Lexus IS leading the way. Lexus IS sales were up to 6,923, followed by the Lexus RX SUV and the compact Lexus CT, with even the massively expensive Lexus LS chipping in 265 sales in the first six months of the year.

Porsche 911 Targa revealed at 2014 Detroit Motor Show

Porsche has revealed an amazing retro-inspired new 911 Targa at the Detroit Motor Show – an open-top model that boasts a ‘wide bar’ look almost identical to the Targa style that went out of production two decades ago. First introduced back in the 1960s, Porsche’s return to the original Targa style has been combined with modern electrically-opening roof technology… and with models arriving in showrooms from this May, it’ll be an on-road retro reality before you know it.