Honda Yamaha Suzuki Chopper Silver Metalflake 7/8" Grip Set Pn# Tbs-2-1129 on 2040-parts.com

1955 Ford Thunderbird takes 2012 Ridler Award at Detroit Autorama

Dwayne Peace, his family and his 1955 Ford Thunderbird took hot-rodding's top prize at the Detroit Autorama on Sunday: the 49th Don Ridler Memorial Award. Peace, accompanied by his two sons who helped build the car, received the trophy and a check for $10,000. The Ridler Award is named for Don Ridler, an athlete and Autorama event promoter from 1957 to 1961.

2015 Honda Civic Type R previewed ahead of Geneva

The 2015 Honda Civic Type R Concept (pictured) previewed ahead of a Geneva debut The next Honda Civic Type R isn’t due to arrive until 2015, but Honda are taking a Type R Concept to the Geneva Motor Show next month and are previewing that with a design sketch of the new Type R (above). The Type R at Geneva will be a concept – and as such subject to some slightly OTT elements – but if the production Type R is anywhere near as dramatic as this concept it will look more like a track car set loose on the streets than a road car. A comically big back wing blends in to the Type R’s rear lights, the Type R’s wide track is incorporated with huge wheelarches, there’s a big diffuser in the back bumper and two sets of twin exhaust tail pipes.

SEAT Leon X-Perience is a high-riding Leon ST Crossover

SEAT goes butch with the SEAT Leon X-Perience. SEAT seems to be launching the Leon X-Perience as a precursor to the arrival of a proper SEAT SUV in a year or two to get buyers used to the idea that SEAT can produce butch crossovers. That said, the SEAT Leon X-Perience is a valid standalone model – much in the mould of cars like Audi’s Allroad, the Citroen C5 CrossTourer and VW Passat Alltrack – as a butched-up estate car with some off-road pretensions and better equipped to deal with the urban jungle too.