One Lap of the Web: Mini challenges Porsche; kit cars; and brand loyalty

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about.

Mini wished the Porsche 911 a happy 50th anniversary. The company placed a full-page ad in the New York Times challenging Porsche to a race at Road Atlanta. Check out World Car Fans for the story.

The boys over at Jalopnik are talking Aquila GT in its “Nice Price or Crack Pipe” series. The Aquila is a kit car based on a VW Type 1. We admit it’s a great-looking kit, but Jalop makes the point that no ones knows who built the vehicle, or where.

If you’d like to check out the world’s most intelligent stop sign, head over to Adweek. It’s digital and the pointer can swing around to different directions. Wondering where Timbuktu is? Just ask.

Ferrari North America CEO Marco Mattiacci told Forbes that “Mexico is the new China,” when talking about the future of luxury. He said the massive growth didn’t necessarily pertain to Ferrari, but to the auto industry’s expansion as a whole.

Finally, the Wall Street Journal is talking about brand loyalty, which happens to be on the rise. Polk did the study, WSJ broke it down.

By Jake Lingeman