Fender Bracket Guard 2004 04 Yamaha Raptor 80 Cc Y57 on 2040-parts.com

Watch the sad, final moments of a crusher-bound heap

Automotive wrecking yards are good places to reflect on the real-world values of heavily depreciated vehicles versus global current scrap-metal prices, and to see which cars have suddenly had the fix-it-versus-total-it line moved by insurance companies (the early-21st-century Subaru Legacy Outback, for example, appeared in large numbers in high-turnover wrecking yards just during the last year, as fairly minor collision damage on these cars is no longer worth fixing). You'll see the things that a car's last owner does in a desperate attempt to sell (or at least live with) an increasingly decrepit heap (as we learned in "Repo Man," you really will find a Little Tree in every car). During a recent trip to a San Jose, Calif., yard, I encountered this sad yet strangely compelling scene.

One Lap of the Web: World of Wheels Edition

-- We reported on carbon-fiber wheels almost exactly a year ago. Back then, our Carbon Revolution test also came with a gaggle of obsequious matte-wrapped BMWs against a soundtrack of David Guetta and overpriced exhausts. This latest episode of "Inside Koenigsegg" examines the art of carbon fiber wheels at 280 mph.

Mini Scooter E concept bike (2010) first photos

We know that Mini has changed plenty since takeover by the Germans, but who’d have thought we’d ever see a two-wheeled Mini? That’s what BMW is unveiling today: the new Mini Scooter E Concept. As its name suggests, this takes the learnings from the Mini E electric car and applies them to a scooter for use around town.