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

VL Destino revealed - what became of the Fisker Karma

VL This is the new face of the Fisker Karma, the luxury plug-in hybrid whose parent company went to the wall last year. But it’s not only the Karma’s gap-toothed grin that’s disappeared: its plug-in hybrid powertrain has bitten the dust, too, replaced by a GM-sourced V8 – a supercharged lump boasting 638hp and 640lb ft. Called the VL Destino, the wilder Karma will be shown at this month’s North American International Auto Show, aka the Detroit Motor Show.

SEAT Leon Cupra R arrives in the UK

The SEAT Leon Cupra R gets launched in the UK It was August last year that SEAT sent us a pile of bumph on the Leon Cupra R - the quickest SEAT to date – including a Cupra R press release we put up. We then had the Cupra R launch proper at Frankfurt in September, but it’s taken a further six months for SEAT to open up the order book in the UK (officially from 1st April) and no doubt a month or three more until the first UK customer gets to go and play. So was it worth the wait, this SEAT Leon Cupra R?

Finalists announced in Car Design News-Opel/Vauxhall interactive competition exterior design phase

Car Design News is pleased to announce the finalists in the exterior design phase of the Car Design News – Opel/Vauxhall interactive design competition. Pierin Giacomo and Victor Uribe of IED school of design in Turin (who are finalists in the interior phase) are joined by Jadir E Minutti, from IAAD in Turin, Italy and Lina, from Creapole school in Paris, France. The approaches of the students to the exterior design phase differed greatly, and because of this the judges felt that four, rather than three, students merited being invited to Geneva where the winner of the exterior design phase will be announced, together with those for the interior phase which closed in December 2010.