Mel Gear 40-400 350 Timing Chain on 2040-parts.com

Ringo Starr's Facel Vega II heads to auction

A Facel Vega II originally owned by The Beatles’ drummer, Ringo Starr, is going to auction at Bonhams' The London Sale on 1 December 2013. It’s expected to sell for around £350,000. You probably have several questions already – including, what is a Facel Vega II, exactly?

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car revealed

Porsche will bring its latest hybrid know-how to the racetrack in the form of the new 911 GT3 R Hybrid, revealed here for the first time prior to a planned public premiere at the Geneva auto show in early March. Developed by a team of engineers at Porsche's Weissach R&D center, Porsche plans for the stripped-out race car to act as a rolling laboratory. The German carmaker wants to explore the potential of hybrid drivetrains in a racing environment before an expected announcement that it will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a factory capacity, perhaps in 2012, with a race car boasting technology based on that used in the 911 GT3 R Hybrid.

McLaren confirms limited run of 12C GT Can-Am racers

It's been a busy weekend for McLaren: not only did Lewis win the 2012 US grand prix, but the car-making division confirmed it would build the most powerful MP4-12C yet – the new 12C GT Can-Am Edition. It's the track-focused 12C racer and Woking has sanctioned a limited run 'of no more than 30 examples.' McLaren MP4-12C Can-Am: the background It's a maxxed-up version of the MP4-12C road car, which has so impressed us since launch. Here the 3.8-litre V8 bi-turbo is derestricted and boasts a maximum power output of 621bhp.