Quarter Midget Exhaust on 2040-parts.com

2012 Interior Motives School League Report

In addition to showcasing the talent of student designers, the 2012 Interior Motives Design Awards acknowledged for the first time the achievements of the schools that nurtured them with its inaugural ‘Most Successful School' award. After a close-run battle with Italy's Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) that was eventually decided by just a single point, the award went to London's Royal College of Art. This one-off award for the RCA is backed up by CDN's league table of school success over the past five years, which has now been updated to include the results from the 2012 Interior Motives Design Awards.

Toyota Auris Hybrid emissions cut to 84g/km

We’ve long believed that car makers better serve their customers by offering ‘Green’ options as add-ons to regular car models, and adding the hybrid option from the Prius to the Auris has seen Auris sales climb steeply whilst Prius sales drop off. There’s only so many buyers who want to shout their green halo from the rooftops, so incorporating green technologies in the regular range opens up far more possibilities for a sale. Now, with the Auris Hybrid sales growing by 69 per cent year on year in the UK, Toyota has had a play to make the Auris Hybrid even more efficient.

Italian firm buys stake in Aston Martin

The former owner of Italian motorcycle maker Ducati has bought a 37.5-percent stake in financially strapped British car maker Aston Martin. The move means future Astons could use modern drivelines and electric architectures from Mercedes-Benz's AMG division, insiders with knowledge of the deal suggest. Private equity fund Investindustrial has signed a memorandum of understanding with current Aston Martin owner Investment Dar of Kuwait that will see it pay $240 million (150 million pounds) for the ownership stake.