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

Cuba removes new car purchase restrictions

Granma, the Communist Party’s newspaper of record in Cuba, said Wednesday that the Council of Ministers approved regulations that “eliminate existing mechanisms of approval for the purchase of motor vehicles from the state.” That means the sale of new and used cars will be allowed to the public. Up until now, Cubans could buy and sell vehicles to each other, but they had to request permission from the government to purchase a new vehicle -- the main reason for the island's unique automotive landscape. The new laws will be enacted gradually, according to Granma, with a set minimum price.

Karmann files for insolvency

Karmann, the century-old German coachbuilder synonymous with cabrios and the famous 1950s Karmann Ghia, has filed for insolvency. The company made the move Wednesday in Germany in response to a dramatic decline in revenue, an inability to pay for its massive layoff plan and the worldwide economic crisis. The North American operations, which make convertible tops for Detroit car companies and Volkswagen, are not affected, a spokesman said.

Kia GT and Provo look to be heading in to production

The recent Kia Provo Concept and the impressive Kia GT look like they’re heading in to production as Kia move upmarket. Equally, the stunning Kia GT concept we saw at 2 years ago at Frankfurt  - a swoopy coupe Kia take on the Mercedes CLS – was equally convincing, although we’d begun to think Kia had gone cold on the idea of putting the Kia GT in to production. But Auto Express are reporting that both the Provo (with a change of name ) and the GT are close to being signed off for production after a conversation with Benny Oeyen, Kia’s marketing boss in Europe.