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

Mercedes A45 AMG (2013) first pictures of new hot hatch

This is the Mercedes A45 AMG: the first time Merc’s in-house tuning arm has tried its hand at building a hot hatch. Packing 355bhp, all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch paddleshift transmission, the A45 AMG will outpace a Porsche 911, but cost less than £40,000. It’s on UK sale from July 2013, but if you can’t wait that long, Merc’s baby barnstormer is appearing at the Geneva motor show from 5 March 2013.

American Elegance: Duesenbergs and drag cars return for concours at Meadow Brook

Cackling and rumbling, roaring and growling, the pair of vintage drag racers rolls onto the brick courtyard--a silver 1965 Dodge Coronet and a gaudy orange '66 “Gas Ronda” Mustang. They're two of the headliners at this year's Concours d'Elegance of America at Meadow Brook. They were followed moments later by a Bugatti Veyron, which almost silently slipped into view, thanks to the clandestine output of its 1,001 hp.

The Grand National Roadster Show is like church, with chrome trim

You can argue all day about which is the best and most influential hot-rod show in the world, but we'll take the Grand National Roadster Show, which will be held this weekend at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif. This is the 61st running of what grizzled veterans have simply called "Oakland," after the city that hosted it for its first half-century. This is the seventh year the show has been held in the Art Deco halls and sprawling avenues of the Fairplex, all of which will be under sunny skies and balmy temps all weekend.