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

U.S. sales, aided by General Motors, show some real spark in October

U.S. light-vehicle sales--bolstered by General Motor Co.'s first gain in 21 months--declined less than 1 percent in October as the industry showed signs of a recovery without the aid of government incentives. The drop was the smallest this year and made October the year's strongest month aside from August, which received a lift from the federal cash-for-clunkers program.

One Lap of the Web: Porsche at Le Mans, F-150 reclaims the flag and Foose talks classic rods

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- We covered the 24 Hours of Le Mans top to bottom including every make and class, but if your preferred marque is Porsche you might enjoy the Porsche Purist's look at how cars from Stuttgart fared during the endurance classic, complete with photos, stats and results.

Concept Car of the Week: Mazda RX500 (1970)

Developed by the Toyo Kogyo Company's advanced design and engineering team, the Mazda RX-500 was described as a ‘mobile test bed for high-speed safety'. Looking at its design, the team's childlike enthusiasm has shone through, resulting in a very cool concept.  From the rakish front to the wraparound windscreen and on to the bread van rear, everything communicates high-tech and ‘70's futurism while also channeling a little of the Star Wars X-Wing. Thanks to plastic body panels, the concept weighs only 850kg and is powered by a 491cc rotary engine delivering 247bhp fitted behind the cabin, in front of the rear axle.