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

From Cape Town to London -- in a Fiat Panda

If we wanted to break the speed record for the run from Cape Town, South Africa to London -- a quick 10,000-mile jaunt -- we'd start out by scouring the classifieds for something big and rugged. A Land Rover would be a classic choice, but a tricked-out Toyota or Jeep could do nicely as well. A team consisting of British rally drivers Philip Young and Paul Brace are taking a somewhat different approach.

Renault R-Space concept car (2011) at 2011 Geneva motor show

Renault will show off a glimpse of its thinking for the Scenic segment with the new R-Space concept car at the 2011 Geneva motor show. It’s a 4.3m long show car that’s designed to inject some pizzazz where today’s Scenic prefers a more sober style. The new-fangled Renault look as pioneered by incoming design chief Laurens van den Acker is present and correct: there’s a large diamond on the nose and heaps more character than the current MPV.

Honda unveils supercharged CR-Z, 2014 Civic Coupe at SEMA

Hard to tell, but the supercharged tomato you see above represents a fundamental shift within Honda: it is the first car from Honda Performance Development with parts that actually make your car go faster. Honda Performance Development: "We're not just body kits and lowering springs anymore!" After two decades in actual racing development, perhaps it was time. HPD has built engines and chassis for IndyCar, American Le Mans Prototypes, Formula Atlantic, and the Continental Sports Car Challenge.