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

One-off Ferrari 458 pays tribute to Niki Lauda

One-off Ferrari 458 pays tribute to Niki Lauda Younger readers might not see the connection between Ferrari and Niki Lauda; after all, Niki Lauda is Chairman of the Mercedes F1 team, not Ferrari. But back in the 1970s, Niki Lauda was the Prince of the Ferrari F1 team, notching up driver titles in 1975 and 1977 in a Ferrari (and suffering horrific burns at the Nurburgring in 1975). Although Lauda left Ferrari  in 1977 on less than good terms, the Ron Howard tribute film to the ’70s battle between Lauda and James Hunt – Rush – has obviously had an impact on one of Ferrari’s wealthier clients, who has commissioned Ferrari’s Tailor Made Programme to create a Ferrari 458 dedicated to Niki Lauda.

Toyota FT-86 Concept – say ‘hachi roku’

The Toyota FT-86 Concept will preview at Tokyo The FT-86 (hachi roku is Japanese for 86) is a small (13′ 8″ long) rear-wheel drive sports coupe which is going to turn up not just as a Toyota but also as a Subaru. It uses the 2.0 Boxer engine found in the Impreza, but by the time it finds its way to market in 2011 – as both a Toyota and a Subaru – it’s likely to get the next generation Boxer lump. The FT-86 is Toyota’s way of launching itself back in to the sports market – a market it once did well in with cars like the MR2 – and gain some credibility, and custom, from younger drivers.

Kjell Qvale, 1919-2013

The automotive world lost a legend over the weekend, with Kjell "Mr. Q" Qvale's passing at the age of 94. While a handful of people may remember him for the recent sports car that bore his name, Norwegian-born Qvale got his start in the automotive business decades prior, after his service as a pilot in the U.S.