C3 Corvette Door Hinge on 2040-parts.com

Lotus not liquidating

When a storied car brand moves only 137 units in a year in the UK and 242 in the US, predictions of said marque's demise carry a certain amount of weight -- 137 is not exactly a number that makes an automaker too big to fail. When the manufacturer in question shows up on a government list of companies to be shut down, brand-enthusiast hearts get heavy; the early stages of mourning kick in. But when the company in question is Lotus, the enthusiast thinks to himself, “Eh, they've been in dire straits before.

Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde gets a tweak and a tickle

2011 Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde - cosmetic tweaks & new toys The Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde already sits at the top of the very appealing MiTo range, but that hasn’t stopped Alfa spreading more Alfa goodness across its bows for the new 2011 model year cars. Don’t get too excited that the tickles include power upgrades – they don’t. But when the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde already boasts one of the best Alfa engines for a long time – the 1.4-litre TB Multiair – that’s not too much of a disappointment.

Next Mazda MX-5/Alfa Romeo roadster engines?

The last manual-transmission diesel convertible we drove was the Volkswagen Beetle. It was a fine little cruiser -- “joyful” is a word we bandied about a lot. But a diesel Miata?