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

Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing – too tight for comfort?

Is the cabin in the new Mercedes SLS too tight for comfort? We weren’t hugely enamoured by the styling in the early camouflaged shots, but we came round enough when we saw the car in the flesh and accept it as more an homage to the 300SL than a pastiche. And despite some concerns that it won’t stack up against the SLR on the road, the news that Mercedes are working on an SLS AMG Black Series should address that concern – at a price.

Ford GT Sells For a Record $11 million at RM's Monterey Auction

RM Auctions sold a 1968 Ford GT40 Gulf/Mirage coupe Friday night at its Monterey sale for $11 million, setting a record for the highest price paid for an American car at auction. The Friday sales showed once again a very strong market for cars selling at auction, according to statistics gathered by classic car insurance giant Hagerty. In comparing this year's sales to last year, the total number of cars sold in two days of auctions was down slightly while the total amount generated -- $67.5 million – is far greater, as is the average selling price.

Insurance group lists its Top Safety Picks

After increasing its standards for 2011 models, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that 66 vehicles--more than double the 2010 total--rate as best in the industry at protecting passengers from front, side, rollover and rear crashes. Only 27 vehicles qualified last year after the group, funded by the insurance industry, required that vehicles pass a roof-strength test to earn a good rating, claiming that stronger roofs would reduce the risk of serious or fatal injury by 50 percent in a rollover accident. The most mentioned carmakers on the 2011 list are Hyundai/Kia and Volkswagen/Audi, both with nine vehicles to get the Top Safety Pick designation.