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

The other side of the curtain: A look back at Lada, Volga and more

While Americans in the 1960s and '70s were enjoying the heyday of muscle-car madness, our friends over in the Soviet Union were treated to an entirely different kind of automobile. Fiat-based Ladas and Russian-born Volgas were the cars of the day, and our friends at Retronaut have gathered some press materials and advertisements for the compact sedans. Lada was named after a famous Czech manufacturer of sewing machines in the 1960s.

Tesla Model S warranty extended to 8 years for Drivetrain

Tesla Model S warranty extended to 8 years for Drivetrain The Tesla Model S – perhaps the only truly useable electric car – has taken the motoring industry by storm, and now it’s getting better still for owners as Tesla announce an extended warranty on the drivetrain of the Model S to 8 years, matching that of the battery pack. The warranty also applies retrospectively, so all Model S Teslas already in the hands of owners are covered – and the warranty can be transferred to as many new owners as needed – for a full 8 years, which is unlimited for the 85 models and 125k miles for the 60 models. It’s a strong response from Tesla after a number of long-term tests (by Consumer Reports and Edmunds in particular) produced a number on niggling problems, and standing behind their product so solidly – just as Hyundai/Kia did – may not take the niggles away but it will give comfort to prospective buyers (if not shareholders, at least in the short term).

Porsche Macan will sell 75,000 a year

The Porsche Macan – Porsche’s more compact SUV, based on the Audi Q5 – looks set to sell at a rate of 75,000 cars a year. The new Porsche Macan - the Porsche Cajun as was -  already looked set to take Porsche sales to another level with projected sales of 45,000 a year from 2013, but it looks like that ambitious target is going to be exceeded. German weekly WirtschaftsWoche is reporting that Porsche’s procurement boss, Uwe-Karsten Staedter, has put Porsche suppliers on notice that they are expecting to sell 75,000 Macans a year by the end of 2013 – an increase of 2/3rds on the original sales predictions.