Fel-pro Ms92957 Engine Intake Manifold Gasket on 2040-parts.com

'Project paradise' up for grabs

IT COULD be project paradise for keen car owners this month, when a series of fabulous cars in need of restoration go under the hammer. The Anglia Car Auctions Classic event will take in project cars from across the decades, with one amazing lot more than 100 years old. There are sought-after Alfa Romeos, including a 1978 Alfasud that was raced by former British Touring Car champion Steve Soper and a 1988 Spider, the latter of which has an estimate of just £500.

Infiniti recalls Q50 sedans over steer-by-wire system

Infiniti is recalling a number of its new 2014 Q50 sedans over a fault in its steer-by-wire system. The recall concerns Q50 sedans equipped with Direct Adaptive Steering that have received a software version which may disable the power steering software when the engine compartment reaches freezing temperatures. There's a mechanical backup system to prevent steering failure that kicks in via a clutch if the Direct Adaptive Steering were to fail, but the NHTSA notes that this backup may not engage in time if the Direct Adaptive Steering fails, increasing the chance of a crash.

Audi rolls out A3 lineup at the Los Angeles auto show

There's something about German automakers and model proliferation—it seems that if there is a niche to be filled, no matter how vanishingly small, a vehicle will be devised to fill it. If no niche is extant, they'll simply invent one, which is how we wound up with the unprompted X6. Audi's new A3 lineup, which debuted at the Los Angeles auto show and will begin its 18 month-long North American rollout spring 2014, seems incredibly rational by comparison.