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

Volvo picks up Red Dot Design Award for new connectivity system

Volvo's Sensus Connected Touch connectivity system with the world's first voice-activated integrated Spotify connection has been awarded a 2013 Red Dot Design Award. The Sensus Connected Touch accessory turns the integrated 7-inch display into an infrared, beam-scanned touch screen that can be used even when wearing gloves. The system can be controlled using the touchscreen, the steering wheel or the center stack, while you can also voice-activate all music sources. Alain Visser, senior vice president of marketing, sales and customer service at Volvo, says, "The Red Dot Design Award confirms that this approach to an intuitive, human-centric user experience fulfils modern car owners' desire to remain constantly connected also when driving." The WiFi connection can be made using either a car-mounted 3G/4G-dongle or the driver's mobile phone, and the data is transferred by the WiFi between the phone and the Sensus Connected Touch.

Supercar on a ski run: Jon Olsson goes nuts in his Rebellion R2K

Well, here’s something you don’t see every day. Several somethings, in fact. That would appear to be a Le Mans-spec racing car driving up a ski run, being chased by a helicopter.

Toyota Prius Recall: 5,000 UK cars affected – 242,000 worldwide

5,000 2009 Toyota Prius (pictured) are being recalled Toyota has had a bit of a nightmare with recalls in recent years, and the news that they’re now having to recall 242,000 Prius models from 2009 worldwide is another financial, and logistical, problem for Toyota. But in truth, the recalls are about car makers now taking responsibility for faults in their cars which become apparent long after warranties have expired, and that’s no bad thing. The Prius models affected are those built between March 2009 and October 2009 (you can check if your car is affected here) and the UK has 4,947 cars on the road that need to be looked at by Toyota’s dealers.