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

The bestselling new cars in Britain

September is the biggest month of the year for new car sales in Britain: car manufacturers say it’s the most important month to get right and a good September performance is thus something of a bellwether test. The UK trade body the SMMT has just released new car registration data for September 2013, which enables us to get a picture of the state of the nation’s new car sales. And the news remains glowing.

Volkswagen prices limited-edition Beetle GSR

Volkswagen is bringing back the yellow-and-black Beetle GSR for 2014, more than 40 years after the “Yellow Black Racer” (Gelb Schwarzer Renner) debuted for the first time. That car had around 50 hp; the new one will eclipse that by just a little bit. On sale today, the Beetle GSR will use VW's turbocharged 2.0-liter TSI engine making 210 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque.

1970 DeTomaso Mangusta: Bring a Trailer special

The name means “mongoose” in Italian, and even if this American half-breed never killed a Cobra on the track, in the looks department it’s still lethal. DeTomaso built 401 Mangusta sports cars from 1967 to 1971 before it was axed in favor of the ubiquitous Pantera--a styling step backward in the eyes of your humble author. The Mangusta formula was the same as that for Pantera: a Ford V8 engine (albeit a 302 rather than a 351C) midships in a sleek Italian body.