Fel-pro 11725 Water Pump Mounting Gasket on 2040-parts.com

Richard Petty Driving Experience says you can skip the clutch pedal

With manual transmissions being phased out of everything from Fords to Ferraris, it's no surprise that beginning on Thursday, the Richard Petty Driving Experience will no longer require the use of a clutch pedal to learn how to drive a stock car. With the company's "Can't Drive a Manual? No Problem" campaign, the driving school will allow students to get behind the wheel of a stocker and be push-started so no shifting will be required.

Audi develops new A2; plans for U.S. unclear

Audi is developing a reincarnation of the A2 small car that will slot between the A3 and the A1 minicar introduced in Geneva last week. "There's clearly room for another product and another concept between the A3 and A1," Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said on the sidelines of the Geneva auto show. Michael Dick, Audi's board member for technology, said in an interview that the company's push to add electric variants will play a role with the next-generation A2 "in the near future." The German media have reported that the A2 is expected by 2014.

Consumer Reports slams new Honda Civic

Honda Motor Co., still struggling with supply shortages of the redesigned 2012 Civic after the March earthquake in Japan, took a slap in the face today when Consumer Reports rated the new Civic "too low to be recommended." The 2012 Honda Civic dropped 17 points, from a very-good score of 78 to a mediocre 61, in the latest Consumer Reports road test of small cars. Previous Honda Civic models have often been Consumer Reports' highest rated small sedans, as well as Top Picks in five of the past 10 years. But the redesigned model was slammed for the cheapness of its interior, poor ride quality, long stopping distances and loud interior noise.