Fan Spacer Kit 1 on 2040-parts.com

Cars & Coffee: Two ingredients to start off your SoCal weekend just right

Cars & Coffee is not yet on the FDA's list of the four basic food groups--but it really should be. It started out as a word-of-mouth gathering of eclectic and cool cars at a spot called Crystal Cove just south of Newport Beach, Calif., but it quickly outgrew that home. “Some of the guys got together, just a spontaneous gathering of, ‘Well, let's bring our cool cars,' ” said Pebble Beach judge, Ferrari collector and well-loved Ford PR guy John Clinard, one of, if not the main driver behind the event.

U.S. Transportation Department opens probe of 2010 Toyota Prius brakes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday that it is opening a formal investigation of the 2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid to determine whether the vehicle suffers momentary loss of braking capability while traveling over bumpy surfaces. NHTSA, an agency that is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, has received 124 consumer complaints, including four reports of crashes.

German enthusiasts name TechArt GrandGT the 'Sports Car of the Year'

For the fourth year in a row, readers of German car magazine Auto Bild have selected the TechArt GrandGT as "Sports Car of the Year" in the sedan-tuning category. The GrandGT, from TechArt Automobilidesign GmbH, is based on the Porsche Panamera Turbo and packs 630 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. The additional power comes from upgraded turbochargers, sport air filters and a tuned engine-management system.