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

Scalded-cheetah Nissan GT-R runs a 7.98 quarter-mile

Eight-second cars are often funny-looking and monstrous-sounding. To get into the eights in the mid-1960s, Dick Landy hacked up his Dodges, altering the wheelbase for better weight transfer. Within a couple of years, the full-on nitro-sucking flopper would come to be the quickest thing with four wheels and a body with some resemblance to a production automobile, ushering the Funny Car era.

MINI Paceman gets a (very slight) facelift: Beijing Motor Show

The 2014 MINI Paceman (pictured) gets a minor facelift Despite the all new MINI Hatch being revealed earlier this year, it’ll be a couple of years before the over-sized MINI Countryman gets replaced, which is why MINI recently revealed a facelift for the Countryman to keep it current. Logic says that if the Countryman is getting a facelift then so should its coupe sibling – the MINI Paceman – and MINI has duly obliged by revealing a very small series of updates for the 2014 / 2015 Paceman. In truth, this could be the last iteration of the Paceman we see as rumour has it MINI won’t be continuing with the Pacemena when the all new Countryman arrives in 2016, and they haven’t exactly gone overboard with the changes to the coupe Countryman either.

Aston Martin configurator for the Cygnet and the Virage hits the Web

The few times a year that Aston Martin graces AutoWeek with a press car, our joy is short-lived. There's never enough seat time to go around. Luckily, we can all dream together with the new Aston Martin configurator at the company's Web site, www.astonmartin.com.