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

Alpina to debut B6 GT3 race car at Geneva motor show

Alpina has been tinkering with BMW vehicles for close to 50 years and has a rich motorsports history that includes campaigns in European touring car, hill climbing, rally and endurance racing that it stepped away from 20 years ago. Now the racing bug has returned to Alpina with the announcement of its entry into the FIA GT3 European championship series. The BMW 6-series based B6 GT3 will have its first public showing at the Geneva motor show in March.

Euro NCAP finds quadricycles had “severe safety problems”

Euro NCAP has branched out from cars and crash tested a small selection of “heavy quadricycles”  – small, four-wheeled vehicles that were originally developed from motorcycles that are sometimes also known as microcars, and don’t come under the usual car regulations. Although legal for use on the road, these machines do not need to achieve the same rigorous crash test safety standards as ordinary cars. But they are increasingly seen as a fuel-efficient urban transportation alternative, and some of them can be driven teenagers as young as 16.

Audi plans expansion of hybrids, electrics

Audi plans a rapid expansion of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years as a key component in Volkswagen Group's strategy to dominate the alternative-powertrain market by decade's end. Michael Dick, Audi's board member for technical development, told Automotive News that the next-generation A6 sedan will have the potential to be a full hybrid by the end of 2012. The A6 would join the recently introduced hybrid A8 sedan at the Geneva auto show and the soon-to-be-launched Q5 hybrid crossover.