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

Skoda Citigo (2011) first official pictures of Skoda's Up

It's all about economies of scale these days, so don't be surprised that Skoda's whipped the covers off its take on the new Up city car just days after Volkswagen unveiled its own at Frankfurt. The new Skoda Citigo (see what they did there?) is the Czechs' sixth model line and will go on sale in UK dealers in summer 2012. Skoda Citigo: the lowdown The four-seater Citigo naturally shares most of its engineering DNA with the Up.

First factory-built wheelchair-accessible vehicle hits the market

Before Wednesday, the only wheelchair-accessible vehicles available to the public were aftermarket conversions that generally came with structural modifications and a price tag ranging from $50,000 to $80,000. Now, a startup company called the Vehicle Production Group (VPG) has released the first vehicle specifically assembled to accommodate people in wheelchairs, with an MSRP of $39,950. The vehicle is called the MV-1, which stands for Mobility Vehicle 1, and it was built for the disabled community.

Shortages of Japan-built cars open the door for U.S. automakers

U.S. carmakers sense that they have a chance to win back customers this summer with the launch of several redesigned models, while their Japanese competitors struggle with supply shortages. About 197,000 car buyers who typically would favor a Japanese brand are in play this summer, according to market research firm A.T.