99 Jaguar Xj8 Glove Box on 2040-parts.com

Missed Shift? American Top Gear struggles to find its own identity

"What happened to Top Gear?" my favorite bartender asked this past weekend. "Somebody took the BBC's scripts and wrote Tanner, Rutledge and Adam over cues which previously said Jeremy, Richard and James," I replied. It's an easy sideswipe I admit, but for me--and I'm guessing for the automotive enthusiasts who constitute AutoWeek's audience--it largely tells the tale.

De Tomaso Deauville production off to China

De Tomaso Deauville - off to China Gian Mario Rossignolo’s De Tomaso has been struggling to get up and running, and now they’ve sold De Tomaso Deauville production to China. If there’s been one constant in the history of De Tomaso, it’s been a lack of money. And despite former Fiat exec Gian Mario Rossignolo’s takeover of the De Tomaso brand from the liquidators last year, it seems nothing much has changed.

Renault Megane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R Special Edition celebrates Nurburgring record

The Renault Megane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R (pictured) breaks a Nurburgring record We knew Renault were planning to take the Megane Renaultsport 275 Trophy to the Nurburgring to have a crack at the FWD production car record and wrestle it back from the SEAT Lean Cupra 280. After some extreme weight saving measures – and some chassis tweaks – Renault managed to push the 275 Trophy round the Nordschleife in 7min 53.4 seconds, beating the SEAT’s time of 7min 58.4 seconds to take the record (video below). But not being one’s to miss a marketing opportunity, Renault has decided that they should celebrate the Nurburgring record with a new limited edition Megane – the Megane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R Special Edition.