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

Design Contest: LA Design Challenge 2008

The entrants for the fifth annual Design Challenge, part of the Design Los Angeles automobile designers' conference, have now been announced. Nine Southern California automotive design studios - including Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen - have been pitted against one another and asked to develop a concept which best answers a brief entitled 'Motorsports in 2025'. "Automotive designers have always been fascinated with motorsports and this year's Design Challenge has provided them with the opportunity to use their creative talent to look at these cars with new eyes, using innovative technologies and approaches," said Chuck Pelly, director of Design Los Angeles and partner in The Design Academy, Inc.

Saab at the Paris motor show 2008

By Guy Bird Motor Shows 02 October 2008 23:02 On one level, the Saab 9-X Air is a re-work of the Geneva show’s 9-X BioHybrid with its roof chopped off. But get up close and you’ll find it’s one hell of a smart hatchet job.   We admire the packaging. If you’ve ever had a soft-top you’ll know that most have very wide fabric C-pillars that impede vision and coupled with integrated rear glass windows can be tricky to fold away.

GM fires engineers, executives after ignition switch recall probe

Update: New story containing new information, additional details of terminations added. General Motors has dismissed 15 employees, including at least eight executives, after an internal investigation found “a pattern of incompetence and neglect” that led to 11 years of delays in recalling millions of cars for a fatal defect, CEO Mary Barra said today. Barra promised that the company would address future safety issues far differently, warning employees that failing to report risks would make them “part of the problem” and even inviting them to contact her directly if they couldn't get potential defects addressed themselves.