Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Volkswagen Microbus production could resume in Brazil

The Volkswagen Type 2 Kombi/Microbus may be a classic to our eyes, but it has been in continuous production in Brazil for almost 50 years. Impending legislation that would outlaw the production and importation of cars and trucks without modern safety features such as ABS brakes and airbags was set to put an end to the Kombi production in Brazil, but one lawmaker wants to make an exception for the veteran vehicle, Indian Autos Blog reports. Brazil's finance minister Guido Mantega is arguing that since the Kombi/Microbus has been in production for decades -- before ABS technology and airbags were developed -- it would be unfair to apply the new law to the vehicle.

Toyota RAV4 (2013) first official pictures

This is the new Toyota RAV4, one of the original soft-roaders. The 2013 RAV4 was unveiled overnight at the Los Angeles auto show - this is a global car and will head over to the UK in 2013. It's the fourth-generation RAV4 since 1994 and is an all-new model with the latest Toyota styling flourishes.

Watch the sad, final moments of a crusher-bound heap

Automotive wrecking yards are good places to reflect on the real-world values of heavily depreciated vehicles versus global current scrap-metal prices, and to see which cars have suddenly had the fix-it-versus-total-it line moved by insurance companies (the early-21st-century Subaru Legacy Outback, for example, appeared in large numbers in high-turnover wrecking yards just during the last year, as fairly minor collision damage on these cars is no longer worth fixing). You'll see the things that a car's last owner does in a desperate attempt to sell (or at least live with) an increasingly decrepit heap (as we learned in "Repo Man," you really will find a Little Tree in every car). During a recent trip to a San Jose, Calif., yard, I encountered this sad yet strangely compelling scene.