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

Next Dodge Viper will shed some rough edges

Little by little we're getting a clearer picture of the next-generation Dodge Viper SRT10. During a conversation with Dodge boss Reid Bigland at the Los Angeles auto show, Bigland told me the redesigned Viper "will appeal to a broader segment of the market." The car is expected to debut in 2012 but is not likely to appear at the Detroit auto show, he says. Today's Viper is essentially a street-legal race car.

SEMA 2008 show report: Volkswagen Passat CC

By Ben Whitworth Motor Shows 07 November 2008 09:00 Volkswagen’s sobriety took a back seat at the SEMA show in Las Vegas this week – it pulled the covers off a pair of muscle-bound Passat CCs, a racy 295bhp Tiguan and a grunty diesel Jetta aimed at cajoling the American market into turning its back on gasoline. The unambiguously named Performance CC – designed by Volkswagen’s California-based design centre – gets a shot in the arm from a three-stage turbo boost to its 2.0-litre TSI engine. In Eco mode you get a modest 222bhp and 236 lb ft of torque, GT mode hikes those outputs to 252bhp and 268 lbs ft, while the Full Power stage unleashes 311bhp and 313 lb ft.

Mercedes SLC Gullwing caught testing

McLaren is well on the way with development of the P11 as we saw recently, and Mercedes is definitely getting close with its replacement, the Mercedes SLC AMG Gullwing. Mercedes SLC AMG Gullwing - Caught testing and due in showrooms in 2010 Our snappers caught the Gullwing out  testing, ready for the concept’s launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this year. The SLC’s most striking feature (at least on the coupe) is the Gullwing doors, reminiscent of the original 300SL.