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

Chevrolet touts Corvette 427 convertible with race driver Tommy Milner

The 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 convertible doesn't need any hype--the 505-hp V8, a 0-to-60-mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed in excess of 190 mph make a strong statement. Nonetheless, Chevrolet has enlisted the help of Corvette Racing driver Tommy Milner in a trio of 90-second videos to tout the 427 convertible. In our favorite, Milner talks about the car's aerodynamics, including the optional carbon-fiber splitter, that help keep the car glued to the ground for better control.

Watch the sad, final moments of a crusher-bound heap

Automotive wrecking yards are good places to reflect on the real-world values of heavily depreciated vehicles versus global current scrap-metal prices, and to see which cars have suddenly had the fix-it-versus-total-it line moved by insurance companies (the early-21st-century Subaru Legacy Outback, for example, appeared in large numbers in high-turnover wrecking yards just during the last year, as fairly minor collision damage on these cars is no longer worth fixing). You'll see the things that a car's last owner does in a desperate attempt to sell (or at least live with) an increasingly decrepit heap (as we learned in "Repo Man," you really will find a Little Tree in every car). During a recent trip to a San Jose, Calif., yard, I encountered this sad yet strangely compelling scene.

Vauxhall Mokka SUV price from £16,995

The sub-comp[act SUV Vauxhall Mokka is now on sale in the UK in three trim levels with a choice of three engines from £16,995. First customer cars in November 2012. The official debut for the Vauxhall Mokka (which retains the German spelling of 'Mocha' for its name) was the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, although by then we already knew what was on offer. That's because not only had Vauxhall / Opel divvied up photos of the Mokka in January, we'd also had the Buick Encore revealed in the States which is, to all intents and purposes, a Mokka with an Uncle Sam badge.