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

Local Motors announces Pacific Northwest competition winners

Local Motors has announced the results of its Pacific Northwest design competition, which asked contenders to create a vehicle for the region's inhabitants. Taking into account nature's four elements - Earth, wind, fire and water - designers the world over answered a brief that called for designs that would enable drivers in the Pacific Northwest to 'thrive in the elements'. Competition entrants were encouraged to create a vehicle inspired by the elements or specifically tailored to allow the users to better experience the elements, all while causing little to no environmental impact.

Le Mans 2014 in pictures

This weekend (14-15 June) sees the start of the 82nd running of the Le Mans 24-hour race, one of the most gruelling and prestigious events on the sportscar calendar. It's also something of a pilgrimage for tens of thousands of Brits, and we'll be joining them to bring you the full flavour of what amounts to a heady mix of summer festival and motor race. Click the image above to join us on our Le Mans road trip

New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.