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

BMW X1 US launch delayed – because the new X3 is so good

BMW X1 - not in the US until late 2012 It would have been inconceivable just a few years ago that there could ever be a market in the US for a car like the BMW X1. But times have changed and even Americans see the benefits of a (much) smaller SUV, so BMW was originally planning on launching the X1 in the US around now. That X1 launch got put back until later in 2011 because the Leipzig plant – which builds the X1 – was running at capacity to meet the demands from Europe.

Pagani Zonda Revolucion is the last ever Zonda. Apparently.

The Pagani Zonda Revolucion – the ultimate Zonda We’ve lost count of the number of ‘Special Edition’ Zondas Pagani has churned out over the years, but it’s probably close to the point where a non-special Zonda is rarer than the special editions. Now we get treated to one last special edition Zonda with the Pagani Zonda Evolucion, an evolution of the track-only Zonda R promising even more extremes of performance and price. The Evolucion’s 6.0 litre V12 engine produces a massive 789bhp which, thanks to a weight of only 1070kg, promises to be unbelievably quick with a power to weight ration of 749bhp per ton – better than the Veyron.

Mercury lives--on the auction circuit

James Dean famously drove one in Rebel Without a Cause, and perhaps Mercurys have never been cooler. That was more than 50 years ago and the brand is now on the verge of extinction. But as Plymouth, Pontiac and even Edsel have shown, some brands have legs that stretch long after new cars are gone from dealerships.