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

Is this the production version of the Porsche 918 Spyder? (video)

We have what appears to be official video of the Porsche 918 Spyder being previewed by a private audience in New York. The Porsche 918 Spyder is hardly a secret, but all the cars we’ve seen so far have been concept cars; prototypes evolving as the 918 Spyder moves from concept to production. But this video looks different.

Government abandons plan to make driving test tougher

Proposals to make learning to drive much tougher in a bid to improve road safety amongst young people have been abandoned by the government, Radio 1’s Newsbeat reports. The changes would have involved the introduction of a probationary licence for the first 12 months, a curfew on driving late at night and compulsory lessons on motorway driving. But plans have been scraped because they would restrict young drivers’ lives too much.

Off the line: Fun cars and social responsibility Autoweek op-ed stands the test of time

It's been almost 21 years to the day that Autoweek printed Matt DeLorenzo's column “Off the Line: There's room for fast, fun cars in diet of social responsibility.” And in those two decades plus, not much has changed except the vehicles themselves. For example, sports cars like the Bugatti Veyron and Pagani Huayra have astronomically high performance and safety levels; similarly, sport-utility vehicles that haul entire families (and most of their earthly possessions) achieve fuel economy similar to that of 1970s midsize sedans. To read all of DeLorenzo's thoughts and his case for automobiles, click the links to download the article.