1976-81 Corvette Rally Wheel 15 X 8 D2602 on 2040-parts.com

Audi A1 Quattro gets the XCar treatment

The Audi A1 is just one of the cool European city cars we don't get here in the United States. It shares a platform with the VW Polo, Skoda Fabia and Seat Ibiza. Audi saw fit to drop the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the last generation S3 in just 333 examples, all of which have reportedly been sold.

It looks like Aston Martin could be getting AMG/Mercedes platforms too

Mercedes/AMG platforms would make the Lagonda SUV a reality We’d been expecting Aston Martin to get access to Mercedes platforms ever since the Lagonda SUV – based on the underpinnings of the Mercedes GL - arrived in all its ‘beauty’ in 2009. The Lagonda SUV was met with wails of anguish from lovers of Aston Martin’s timeless beauty but, despite the horror at the looks of the SUV, the prospect that Aston Martin could be heading down a collaboration route with Mercedes was welcome. It was welcome because without the support of a major car maker – and access to its technology – Aston Martin would have little chance of a bright future; there is no way a minnow like Aston Martin could afford the development cost of new engines and platforms.

2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC to sticker at $143,400 when sales start in August

Pushing 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, the newest member of the Maserati lineup is now the brand's fastest production vehicle in North America. The 2012 GranTurismo MC gets a base price of $143,400--which includes $1,800 in shipping charges and a $1,700 gas-guzzler tax. For full wind-in-your-hair accelerative exposure, the convertible-sport variant starts at $146,300, including the shipping and gas-guzzler charges.