New Triumph T140 Piston Ring Set, +.050 O.s., Bonneville, Tr7rv, 27 on 2040-parts.com

RCA 'Future Car' design competition winner announced

Michal Vlcek, a first-year student in the Vehicle Design department at London's Royal College of Arts, has been announced by the organizers of the London Motorexpo as the winner of the competition to design an innovative electric-powered car. The competition, which was open exclusively to RCA students, asked for designs for the four person electric vehicle of 2032, using "the packaging advantages of an electric motor to move way from the formulaic styling of many modern-day passenger cars". Vlcek's high-quality artwork and lateral thinking proved to be instrumental in his success.

The real Bond car: Aston Martin that inspired 007 for sale

A gadget-packed Aston Martin that’s said to have been the inspiration behind James Bond’s Aston Martin in Goldfinger has been revealed in London prior to going up for auction at Blenheim Palace in July. The 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been expertly restored by its current owners – who actually didn’t know the car could have inspired Fleming until they began restoring it. Years of research – and the nine-month nut and bolt renovation – followed, producing what auctioneers believe is a car that, if the right people are in the auction crowd, could make the owners very rich indeed.

Audi prepares a topless R8 GT

With production of the high-performance R8 GT getting under way, Audi is preparing a convertible version of the car. The German automaker released sketches of the R8 GT Spyder on Monday. A full debut is likely at the Frankfurt motor show in September.