Peugeot 305 Diesel 1st Make Thermostat 82° on 2040-parts.com

Build your Mini Cooper Hardtop

We suspect that your initial inclination upon the discovery of a new model's configurator is to throw gobs and gobs of equipment at a car to see just how high the price will go. After all, that's what we tend to do. It's especially satisfying with German automakers — notably Porsche and BMW — who seem to have turned option pricing into something bordering on absurdist theatre.

The next F1: McLaren plans replacement for supercar

Formula One powerhouse McLaren secretly has begun work on a replacement for its legendary F1 supercar, while it also gears up to become a mainstream sports-car maker. McLaren's Technology Center in Woking, England, has built some 2,000 McLaren SLR supercars a year for Mercedes-Benz, but McLaren boss Ron Dennis reportedly has his sights set on producing 1,000 of its upcoming Ferrari F430-fighting P11s a year starting in 2011. The number, Dennis said, will rise to 4,000 cars by mid-decade as future models such as the Porsche 911-challenging P8 come on line.

Nissan unveils a new commercial van, the NV, for North America

Sensing an opportunity to bring an all-new model to a sometimes stagnant segment, Nissan unveiled its first commercial vehicle for North America, the NV, on Wednesday at a work-truck show in St. Louis. The NV, or Nissan Van, will come with two engines: a 4.0-liter V6 or a 5.6-liter V8.