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

Classic style for road-ready Beetle Dune

A VERY special Volkswagen Beetle has hit the coastal roads of northern Germany, and it might just arrive in showrooms soon, too. The new Beetle Dune concept captures a little of the spirit of the classic version, with 50mm of extra ride height, big, bold wheels and a rear-mounted ski rack. It looks stunning on the move, where its broad-spoked 19-inch wheels look almost like solid discs of polished metal and the ski rack has the visual effect of an old-school Porsche 911-esque spoiler.

Lutz deflates talk of new Chevy Caprice

Well, that was fast. Just four days after Bob Lutz, General Motors' new marketing honcho, raised the possibility of the Pontiac G8 living on as a new Chevrolet Caprice, he shot it down. "The G8 will not be a Caprice after all," Lutz wrote on GM's Fastlane blog on July 16.

Autoweek contributor Patrick Paternie dead at age 65

Longtime Autoweek contributor Patrick C. Paternie, who shared his love of cars with readers for 12 years at this publication and for 25 years with other magazines and in his many books, died on March 10 at age 65. Paternie had just finished a race in his Porsche 911 at Willow Springs and pulled into his pit area when he suffered a heart attack.