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

Mercedes’ AMG division unveils new twin-turbo V8

Those obsessed with torque bemoaned Mercedes’ high-revving 6.2-litre V8 when it was launched in 2005, but just as the world has come to accept the naturally aspirated engine, the company has now unveiled a new twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8. Up to 563bhp – which is the same as the SLS AMG – and 663lb ft, which is much more than the 479lb ft the modern-day Gullwing supercar manages. The engine is an all-new 5.5-litre V8 (5461cc to be exact) with direct-injection technology, an aluminium crankcase and two turbochargers.

Nissan design chief Shiro Nakamura meets Jay Leno, talks about new 240Z

Nissan Design's Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura met talk-show host Jay Leno in the latest of the ‘Jay Leno's Garage' YouTube series, chatting candidly about the possibility of a new 240Z within the next two years. Next year will be the 80th anniversary of Nissan and the new model would be a celebration of the occasion, taking the spirit of the 240Z while refreshing the original design and shape into what Nakamura hopes will be an exciting new product. Speaking at the Nissan Technical Center in Japan, Nakamura said: "I don't regulate everything, I don't come too often.

Contest: Volkswagen Slipstream wins 2007 LA Design Challenge

Volkswagen's Slipstream concept has won the fourth annual Design Challenge competition, part of the Design Los Angeles automobile designer's conference. The award was presented during the second press day of the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show.  The theme of this year's competition, RoboCar of 2057, asked eight automotive design studios in California to form their vision of the future by depicting a vehicle that incorporates artificial intelligence engineered to make life easier and more attractive to consumers 50 years from now. Designers entered two-dimensional renderings and concept descriptions predicting how the rapidly advancing field of artificial intelligence will integrate into the automobile to make life safer, more practical and attractive, and the entries were judged by multi-discipline design professionals who selected the winner based on its originality of creative concept, integration of robotics and level of adaptation to a variety of environmental conditions and consumer needs.