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

U.S. new car sales surge at fastest pace in nearly 7 years

U.S. sales of cars and light trucks surged 9 percent in November 1.24 million units and rolled off dealership lots at the fastest pace in almost seven years. The industry's annualized sales rate, adjusted for seasonal factors, rose to 16.4 million last month, up from 15.3 million a year earlier and easily topping analysts' forecasts in the 15.8 million range.

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.

Volkswagen BlueSport concept

The 2009 NAIAS was the venue chosen to debut Volkswagen's latest concept: the BlueSport. "It is the symbiosis of outstanding technology and timeless Volkswagen design that makes this car an exceptional sports car. Its styling is clear and is reduced to the essentials; the car body itself has a lean and linear structure," explained Volkswagen Group Head of Design Walter de'Silva.