2001 Yamaha Yz80 Water Pump Cover on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: It Ain't Easy Being Front-Engined

-- Twitter friend @dudehugs is a Weird Twitter savant and a curator of goofy license plates. To archive the world's silliest vanity plates, you have to understand your subject, comprehensively -- which is why his daily driver Ford Focus has a Louisiana plate that says "KANYE." Thusly inspired, someone decided to chronicle whether every state had a vanity plate dedicated to the notable fishstick connoisseur and hip-hop artist Kanye West: The United Plates of Kanye diligently checks DMV records to see if someone's driving around with KANYE proudly emblazoned. So far, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, and Nevada have their own mini Yeezys.

Mercedes shows the future of crash protection

By Mark Nichol Motor Industry 09 June 2009 10:00 It might look familiar, but the Mercedes ESF 2009 concept is about as futuristic as they come. Ostensibly an S400 Hybrid, the car showcases the very latest Mercedes safety technology, some of which will be in mainstream models soon, and some of which is, frankly, pure fantasy mollycoddling. The concept will be officially unveiled next week, but CAR has already been to the company’s Stuttgart base for a sneak preview.

2011 BMW 5 Series leaks

A leaked photo of the 2011 BMW 5 Series We’ve seen the next generation, 2011 BMW 5 Series pounding round the Nurburgring in disguise for quite some time. But with the 2011 5 Series due to hit the car shows in 2010 we’ve finally got hold of what appears to be a leak from the Swedish version of the German car magazine Auto Motor & Sport. The 2011 5 Series is going to be an evolution rather than a revolution.