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

2012 Volkswagen Beetle guest stars on ‘Oprah'

Volkswagen used the “Oprah Winfrey Show” to tease the 2012 Beetle, which arrives in showrooms next fall. A silhouette of the diminutive new car was shown on Monday on the TV show, and it's expected to have sleeker styling with a stretched-out roofline. That cue was also seen on the 2005 Ragster concept.

Euro NCAP latest

By Jack Carfrae Motor Industry 28 February 2007 10:12 Euro NCAP releases results on five new models Should Euro NCAP recalibrate its results? We suspect it should, as virtually every new car launched these days scores a high four- or five-star overall rating for occupant protection. The new results announced today are no different: Small family carsFiat Bravo: 5 stars (occupant safety), 3 stars (child safety), 2 stars (pedestrian safety) Toyota Corolla saloon: 5 stars (occupant), 4 stars (children), 3 stars (pedestrian) Small off-roaders Honda CR-V: 4 stars (occupant), 4 stars (children), 2 stars (pedestrian) Mitsubishi Outlander: 4 stars (occupant), 3 stars (children), 2 stars (pedestrian) Executive Honda Legend: 5 stars (occupant), 4 stars (children), 3 stars (pedestrian) Dig below the surface, though, and several disappointments emerge.

Muscle-car icons immortalized in new postal-stamp set

Perhaps sensing that it's at risk of going the way of the carbureted big-block and leaded gasoline, the United States Postal Service is apparently willing to try anything to boost its bottom line. Though we're sure its recently announced line of postal worker-inspired apparel will be a runaway (and runway) success, we're glad to see the USPS reaching out to the automotive-enthusiast community with a new set of limited-edition stamps that commemorate the American muscle car. We told you about the stamps earlier this year, but we can now confirm the lineup.