1984 Honda Goldwing Gl1200 Right Side Intake Manifold Boots on 2040-parts.com

Las Vegas Motorcycle Auctions show strong results, easy access

Results are in for Bonhams fourth annual Las Vegas motorcycle auction, and the ancient British firm sold a whopping $3.3 million worth of motorcycles at its Thursday night event at Bally's on The Strip, with some fairly high-dollar bikes setting records. One of the Ducatis from the Silverman Museum Racing Collection lead the field, as it no doubt had on the track back in its day -- with a record $175,500 hammer price after what Bonhams called “spirited bidding.” The 1978 Ducati 900 NCR was in great shape after its spirited competition life. Next-highest seller was a 1940 Harley-Davidson EL from the Pierce Family Museum Collection that sold for $159,000.

Mini John Cooper Works GP (2012) full specs and stats

A cynical marketing exercise, or Mini getting back to its pocket rocket best? Say what you like about the new (deep breath) Mini John Cooper Works GP, but there's no arguing with its raw specification. With slightly more power (up to 215bhp from 208bhp in the standard JCW), it's the fastest Mini yet.

Next-gen Passat to offer hybrid and twin-turbo power

VOLKSWAGEN is going even more upmarket with the all-new version of the Passat, which is due to hit showrooms later this year. Soon buyers will be able to include a plug-in hybrid and an all-new 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel among their forecourt options, as VW goes chasing after its sister company Audi. Weight-saving measures have chopped up to 85kg from the new kid on a like-for-like basis, which helps achieve VW's stated efficiency boosts of 20% versus equivalent outgoing Passats.