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

Pace cadets: At AMG academy, students take their finals with their right feet

Mercedes-Benz USA launched the AMG Challenge in 2002, a program touted as "a chance to experience the thrill of driving the newest Mercedes AMGs on some of America's best racetracks." This year, MBUSA abandoned the Challenge in favor of the AMG Driving Academy, a multistage driver-development program pioneered by AMG in Europe. The difference? According to Greg Clark, AMG manager, "the Challenge was more about the cars, while the Academy is more about the driver." Having participated in both the Challenge and now the Academy, we'd say that difference is subtle, at least as it applies to the one-day program.

VW Concept BlueSport at Detroit auto show 2009

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 12 January 2009 05:29 CAR's been tipping it for ages, but today we finally saw the first proof of VW's ambitions to build a Lotus Elise-style back-to-basics roadster. The Concept BlueSport is a mid-engined sports car with the emphasis firmly on the lack of frills – to the benefit of performance, handling and the car's environmental credentials. The BlueSport is compact at just 3999mm long and that mid-mounted engine keeps weight distribution even-Stevens at 45:55.

Bentley Supersports ‘ISR’ Convertible (2011) at 2011 Geneva motor show

The new Bentley Continental GT is on sale, and it’s a little while yet before we see a new drop-top GTC or Flying Spur limo, so at the VW Group’s 2011 Geneva motor party Bentley revealed a limited-run Supersports Convertible. Just 100 Bentley Supersports ‘Ice Speed Record’ Convertibles will ever be made. There is, but this is the Ice Speed Record Supersports Convertible, built to celebrate Bentley's recent, err, ice speed record; just a few weeks ago, on the frozen Baltic Sea just off the coast of Finland, four-time world rally champ Juha Kankkunen drove a Supersports Convertible to 205mph.