12 Kia Optima Shift Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Big Willie Robinson: 1942-2012

Big Willie Robinson was as much legend and myth as flesh and bone, and at six feet, six inches and weighing 300 pounds, with 21-inch biceps and a 58-inch chest, there was a lot of flesh and bone. Robinson was more than a drag racer, promoter and sanctioning-body president. He was the man who used the power of horsepower to unite people of all colors and creeds under the banner of drag racing, once saying at a race, “Ain't no colors here, it's all just engines.” As the founder and president of the National and International Brotherhood of Street Racers, he used racing to bring the races together.

One Lap of the Web: Stop! It's Sledgehammer time!

-- There's a Bitter SC on eBay this week, and unlike most examples that we see on the list that is Craig's and the Electronic Bays, this is actually in decent shape. Some of you might remember these when they were new, and they remain the best way and perhaps the only way to get into an Opel Senator on this side of the Atlantic. (If you're into that sort of thing.) -- OK, we get it -- Mongolia has only about 2,000 miles of paved roads, but that's no excuse for chafing through a bottleneck in this manner.

Mazda to make 1,000 more copies of final RX-8

Wankel wankers, rejoice: The Mazda rotary engine has received a short stay of execution. Mazda is building 1,000 more RX-8 Spirit R models, and then the car is gone forever. Well, maybe not forever.