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

Chrysler to close Pacifica Advanced Design Studios

The 20 designers at Chrysler's Pacifica Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad, California will soon be finding themselves out of a job. The struggling North American automaker announced the closure of the facility on Friday, stating that the company is ‘leveraging resources worldwide, forming new joint ventures and alliances and consolidating operations in order to better achieve global balance.' Responsible for many of the more successful designs hailing from Chrysler in recent times, including the Chrysler 300 sedan and the new Dodge Challenger musclecar, the Pacifica Advanced Product Design Center also yielded the Nassau concept car and the Pacifica crossover – bearing the same name as the west coast studios in which it was created. The work done at the Pacifica Advanced Design Center will be consolidated into the Advance Design function in Auburn Hills and continue to be led by Senior Vice President of Design, Trevor Creed.

Saab sale to National Electric Vehicle Sweden confirmed

The sale of a substantial portion of Saab assets to National Electric Vehicle Sweden has been confirmed. It’s taken a very long time, but Saab has finally found a new home in the hands of National Electric Vehicle Sweden, as we reported last week. National Electric Vehicles Sweden has been set up to take over the assets of Saab and is a consortium of Japanese, Swedish and Chinese stakeholders, but it does not get the contentious Saab 9-5 technology that has dogged the sale of Saab so far.

VW Beetle Dune at the Detroit auto show

Of all the production-leaning concept vehicles at the Detroit auto show, the Volkswagen Beetle Dune's the sort of flight of fancy nobody was looking for. Nissan's Sport Sedan heralds the look of the next Maxima, which will likely trickle down in some way to future Altimas, Sentras and Versas. It looks as if Nissan will put one of its techno-retro RWD IDx concepts into production.