2000 Pontiac Grand Prix Gt 3.8 Front Grills on 2040-parts.com

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 (2011) track testing begins

McLaren has begun testing its latest track weapon, the MP4-12C GT3 ahead of the 2012 FIA GT3 season.  How different is the MP4-12C GT3 from the roadgoing edition? The MP4-12C GT3 is based on the standard machine but modified for FIA GT racing by McLaren GT - a joint venture between McLaren Automotive and CRS Racing, a UK-based team currently competing in FIA GT with Ferrari F430s.  Externally you'll notice the race-spec fixed rear wing, undertray diffuser, front splitter, louvres and vents. Underneath there's a new suspension system, ditching the road car's linked suspension for FIA-compliant conventional dampers and anti-roll bars. Akebono is supplying race-specific brake components, and Bosch Motorsport has installed its ABS system. The car sits 100mm wider on its new suspension and has suitably flared bodywork as a result.  It's still the McLaren's bespoke 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, tuned for racing.

Eight places to be this Memorial Day weekend, an AW list

Most people spend Memorial Day Weekend in the backyard, at a local beach or stuck in traffic. That's all well and good, but you, AutoWeek reader, are not most people. Where you should be this weekend: 1.

Aston Martin DBS from 'The Persuaders!' heads to auction

James Bond wasn't the only British fictional character associated with cars from Newport Pagnell, even though the MI6 agent did drive Aston Martins in a number of films. But James Bond films weren't the only medium in which Aston Martin cars appeared. If you watched the opening of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, you might have noticed one TV series not referenced in the opening show: "The Persuaders!" starring Roger Moore (a Bond actor himself) along with Tony Curtis.