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

Demise of kei cars on the horizon?

The kei car has long been a staple of the Japanese automobile industry and its car culture. Too diminutive for Western markets, the tiny cars and trucks are a strong influencer of design in Japan. Now, as The New York Times reports, the Japanese government has hit kei cars with increases in sales tax, gasoline prices and has reduced the kei car tax break introduced to make the cars popular in the first place by 50 percent.

Skoda Octavia Scout (2007): first official pictures

By Jack Carfrae First Official Pictures 23 January 2007 12:27 The new Skoda Octavia Scout… yet another soft-roader? Sort of. Skoda isn’t kidding itself into claiming that the Scout would win if it took on a Defender; think of it as a slightly chunkier alternative to the current 4wd Octavia estate, or a cut-price rival to the Audi Allroad and Volvo XC70.

New Developments at Bertone

Stile Bertone - located in Susa Valley west of Turin, Italy - has seen a series of internal and external changes in the last two years. But even in this global economic crisis the famed design studio is steadfast and committed, remaining vibrant and alive. The most recent development, which occurred on July 28, has seen Lilli Bertone, Nuccio Bertone's widow and President of Bertone, create Bertone Cento as the holding company for both Stile Bertone (design) and Bertonecento R&D (engineering).