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

Lazzarini Design creates Ferrari-powered Fiat 500

If you saw the Fiat Abarth 659 Tributo Maserati car and thought to yourself, “That's just not enough razzle-dazzle,” then maybe this will strike your speed-seeking fancy. It's a Fiat 500 powered by one of the best engines in the world—the 4.5-liter V8 from the Ferrari Italia. Lazzarini Design came up with the concept, and the company says it's waiting for an investor with $550,000 burning a hole in his or her pocket to give building one a shot.

Next-gen Passat to offer hybrid and twin-turbo power

VOLKSWAGEN is going even more upmarket with the all-new version of the Passat, which is due to hit showrooms later this year. Soon buyers will be able to include a plug-in hybrid and an all-new 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel among their forecourt options, as VW goes chasing after its sister company Audi. Weight-saving measures have chopped up to 85kg from the new kid on a like-for-like basis, which helps achieve VW's stated efficiency boosts of 20% versus equivalent outgoing Passats.

One Lap of the Web: Rags to riches, Beetles to Porsches

-- Joseph MacDonald parked his 1965 Beetle in front of a restaurant 41 years ago, and that was the last time he saw it. He might yet see it again today, as his stolen car -- now painted white, and with even more rust -- will reunite with him, through the providence of border patrol officers actually performing some due diligence. Jason Torchinsky -- who knows a thing or two about stolen Beetles -- notes that he was lucky enough not to have waited 40 years for his car to come back.