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

Winners announced in 2010 Car Design of the Year competition

The 2010 Car Design of the Year awards, which took place at the annual Car Design Night at La Sip nightclub in Geneva last night, recognized the winners of the best production and concept cars of 2010 as voted by Car Design News readers in an online poll. With over 1000 votes taken in over a three month period, the winners finally emerged as the Range Rover Evoque and the Pininfarina Duettottanta in the Best Production and Best Concept Car design categories, respectively. Officially unveiled at the 2010 Paris motor show, the Range Rover Evoque represents the best translation from concept car to production vehicle we've seen in recent times.

Kia Soul Shaker returns & Kia Picanto White arrives

Kia is reintroducing the Soul Shaker to its Shaker Originals range and launching a range-topping Kia Picanto White. With metal to shift, economic gloom and snow on the ground, car makers turn to new variations on existing models to get bit more footfall – and sales – at their dealers. So Kia is reintroducing the Soul Shaker to its Originals offerings (along with the Soul Quantum and Soul Inferno) to sit at the top of the Soul range with its Vanilla Shake paint job (or, as a no cost option, Quartz Black), 18″ alloys, Houndstooth upholstery with beige trim and a rear-view mirror that comes with a built-in reversing camera.

Nissan and Fiat marketing heads trade insults over 'visual pollution'

A war of words has erupted between Fiat and Nissan's marketing departments over their electric vehicle designs, the Leaf and the 500e. Matt Davis, head of Fiat product marketing, told Bloomberg News before the launch of its all-electric 500e at the Los Angeles show last week that "ugliness is probably one of the worst forms of pollution," seen as an indirect attack on Nissan's electric offering. The then 500e came under attack with Nissan criticizing the fact that it was created only to meet Californian emissions requirements.