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

Fewer learners crashing mid-test

A CRASH in the midst of your driving test is not a good start to your life on the road, but this year it's being predicted that these calamities will take a huge dive. Research from IntelligentCarLeasing.com reveals a downward trend in mid-test collisions. Last year there were 22% fewer than in 2009.

Birth of an Icon

The first thing you notice when you step into Icon's sprawling, 120,000-square-foot shop in Chatsworth, Calif. -- past the fenced-in yard of Broncos of every size and Land Cruisers of every generation, past the 1952 Chrysler Town & Country station wagon with the DeSoto front end and a massaged patina of greens, browns, and ochres resembling a Cezanne painting -- is the smell. It smells old in here.

New BMW 3-series bows, performance-oriented 335iS joins the lineup

A new performance-oriented 335iS model endowed with an M-sport styling kit and unique chassis settings heads the list of changes BMW brings to its facelifted 2011 3-series coupe and convertible. Set to slot into the lineup between an upgraded 335i and the M3 when it goes on sale in March as an exclusive for North America, the 335iS runs a tuned version of BMW's N54 engine, as found in the recently unveiled Z4 sDrive35iS, coupled to either a standard six-speed manual or an optional Getrag-engineered seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine of the 335iS adds a special software package to bump power to 326 hp and lift torque to 332 lb-ft--or to an even gutsier 369 lb-ft for short periods via an overboost function that unleashes added turbocharger boost pressure.