Gibson Performance 617407b Black Elite Axle-back Dual Exhaust System on 2040-parts.com

Hearing the call of the auto-show siren

Margery Krevsky walks over to a display case containing several hood-ornament reproductions. “This is probably the most famous hood ornament in the world,” she says, pointing to Rolls-Royce's “The Spirit of Ecstasy.” The story behind it “could be made into a movie,” as she put it. And it would be worth watching for car enthusiasts.

How safe are new minicars?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently tested a total of 11 minicars in its relatively new small-overlap crash test, and the Chevrolet Spark was the only one to earn an Acceptable rating. The small-overlap crash test was instituted in 2012 with the goal of better replicating real-life car crashes, most of which don't follow the pattern of traditional government crash tests. Instead of a car hitting a stationary object with 100 percent of its front making contact, the small-overlap test examines how a car behaves in a frontal impact at 40 mph where only a quarter of the car's front hits an object.

Lexus LF-NX Turbo concept debuts in Tokyo

Lexus introduced its first turbocharged motor on Wednesday at the Tokyo Motor Show. The 2.0-liter with a twin-scroll turbo debuted in the Lexus LF-NX Turbo Concept CUV. For you engineers, the boosted four gets a high-tumble intake port, which cuts down on air turbulence, fan spray fuel injection, variable-valve timing and a cylinder head-integrated exhaust manifold.