Kuryakyn Universal Kickstand Extension 7108 on 2040-parts.com

Off the line: Fun cars and social responsibility Autoweek op-ed stands the test of time

It's been almost 21 years to the day that Autoweek printed Matt DeLorenzo's column “Off the Line: There's room for fast, fun cars in diet of social responsibility.” And in those two decades plus, not much has changed except the vehicles themselves. For example, sports cars like the Bugatti Veyron and Pagani Huayra have astronomically high performance and safety levels; similarly, sport-utility vehicles that haul entire families (and most of their earthly possessions) achieve fuel economy similar to that of 1970s midsize sedans. To read all of DeLorenzo's thoughts and his case for automobiles, click the links to download the article.

Top Gear Series 19 starts 27th January 2013

It looks like the new series of Top Gear – Series 19 – will start on 27th January after ticket allocations opened up for the Wednesday before. The new series of Top Gear – which will be series 19 – should have been on our screens months ago, but the summer of sport, Strictly and the X Factor hogging schedules meant BBC bosses decided to save the new Top Gear for the New Year. But it now looks like Top Gear is set to return on 27th January after Applause Store listed five new dates for Top Gear tickets, starting on Wednesday 23rd  January (which should air on Sunday 27th January) running through to Wednesday 20th February (which will air on Sunday 24th).

Lumma Design tunes the BMW X6

Custom-body designer Lumma Design worked over the fire-breathing BMW X6 to create an even more powerful version bolstered with carbon and aerodynamic enhancements. It's called the Lumma CLR X 650 M, and as always, speed is paramount. It pumps out 670 hp and has a top speed of 193 mph.