1958-1962 Corvette Bumper Brace on 2040-parts.com

Porsche 911 cabriolet: First official photographs

Porsche has developed an innovative fabric and composite-plastic folding roof for the 911 cabriolet as part of a push to give it a cleaner appearance, improved aerodynamic efficiency and greater levels of refinement than its strong-selling predecessor. Pictured here officially for the first time ahead of its world premiere in January at the Detroit auto show, the new open-top 911 is planned to go on sale in North America in 2012 in Carrera cabriolet and Carrera S models. Eschewing the traditional multilayered fabric structure of the 997 series 911 cabriolet, the next model (991 series) adopts a specially developed lightweight roof that uses two fabric-skinned composite plastic panels for the upper and rear part of the structure, giving it a more uniform shape together with a tauter fit that is claimed to make it more resistant than before to buffeting at high speeds.

Honda Civic Si gets a bigger engine for 2012

Honda is dropping a larger, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine into the Si versions of the redesigned Civic coupe and sedan, which go on sale this spring. The Civic Si powertrain also gets a new six-speed manual transmission. Honda on Thursday said it anticipates that the 2.4-liter engine will be rated at 200 hp.

Nissan LEAF: UK prices

The Nissan LEAF EV will sell at £21,350 in the UK after subsidies are taken in to account Agree with their focus – some would say obsession - or not, you can’t help but admire Nissan’s intentions to make the electric car a mainstream reality. It’s a big commitment and a bold move which could actually make or break Nissan in the coming years, in the same way as the hybrid obsession at Lexus. But putting aside the business sense of a headlong tilt in to electric cars, we have to admit that the headline price for the Nissan LEAF in the UK – just announced as £23,350 (after taking in to account Government incentives) – is a very competitive price point.