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

The Queen of the 'Ring: Sabine Schmitz will not slow down

"I'm a farmer," Sabine Schmitz says, laughing, as she jumps out of her dusty Range Rover to release some of her horses. Some farmer. Schmitz is probably the best known woman in European motorsport, so much so that she is identifiable by only her first name.

Secrets of bidders: Is this your year to steal a car at the Arizona auctions?

Each January, enthusiasts flock to Arizona for the most exciting events on the auction calendar. Seven companies--Barrett-Jackson, RM Auctions, Gooding & Co., Russo and Steele, Kruse International, ICA Auctions and Silver Auctions--will duke it out, with more than 3,000 collector cars on the block. But with real estate tanking, the economy in a tailspin, consumer confidence at an all-time low, retail car sales bottoming and automakers begging for loans in Washing-ton, is this any time to buy an old car at auction?

Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell (2010): the electric SLS

Following the unveiling of Tesla's updated Roadster 2.5, Mercedes is showing off its iteration of an all-electric sports car: the SLS AMG E-Cell. While the regular SLS pumps out 563bhp and 479lb ft from its 6.2-litre V8, the SLS E-Cell has four synchronous electric motors, powering all four wheels for a combined output of 392kW (equivalent to 526bhp) and a mammoth 649lb ft of torque. Crucially, all of that power is accessible from zero revs, allowing the E-Cell to sprint to 62mph in four seconds dead.