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

Fiat 500XL spied undisguised – it’s not a looker

The Fiat 500 range has already expanded from the very successful recreation of the original 500 in to something bigger and more family friendly with the 500L, and now we have the joy of an even bigger version on the way – the Fiat 500XL. The 500L managed to lose almost all of the chic retro appeal the 500 managed so convincingly, and it looks like the 500XL goes a step further, with looks that only its mother could love. Grafting an extra 200mm on the back of the 500L perhaps seems like a good idea, but the execution doesn’t sit well.

Audi R8 GT Spyder (2011) sketches

This is the car to render the Lamborghini Gallardo Performante pointless – it’s the Audi R8 GT Spyder, a drop-top version of the lighter, faster R8 GT coupe. Previewed in these design sketches from Audi, the R8 GT Spyder is expected to be revealed in full at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show in September. So this Audi R8 GT Spyder is a R8 GT without a roof? Essentially, yes.

1970 DeTomaso Mangusta: Bring a Trailer special

The name means “mongoose” in Italian, and even if this American half-breed never killed a Cobra on the track, in the looks department it’s still lethal. DeTomaso built 401 Mangusta sports cars from 1967 to 1971 before it was axed in favor of the ubiquitous Pantera--a styling step backward in the eyes of your humble author. The Mangusta formula was the same as that for Pantera: a Ford V8 engine (albeit a 302 rather than a 351C) midships in a sleek Italian body.