Plymouth 440 Custom Made Stainless Steel Oil Pan. on 2040-parts.com

2012 BMW 3-series: The new features that matter

Those who covet the BMW 3-series probably don't need a lot of reason to buy a new one--other than that there's a fresh model for 2012. But after a splashy reveal on Friday in Munich, Bimmerphiles and mainstream consumers alike have reason to consider the 2012 BMW 3-series for both practical and enthusiast-oriented pursuits. Here's why: The sixth-generation BMW 3-series is fitted with a host of the latest technologies both underhood and underskin, which make the 3-series more relevant for the times yet true to its heritage.

Concept Car of the Week: Italdesign Machimoto (1986)

The Machimoto might look and sound like a Japanese concept, but it was developed in Europe in the Turin-based Italdesign studio, and was based on a Volkswagen Golf GTI platform. The name actually derives from MACHIna (car in Italian) and MOTOciclo (motorcycle) as the perfect hybrid between the worlds of two- and four-wheelers. Unveiled on its home turf at the Turin motor show in 1986, it landed like a UFO, shocking both the public and the press.

Silverstone: the defining moments from 50 British grand prixs

By Tom Clarkson Motoring Issues 03 July 2014 11:00 1948 Silverstone’s transformation from a World War II bomber station into a race circuit began in August 1948, when the Royal Automobile Club took out a one-year lease on RAF Silverstone. Under the stewardship of local farmer James Wilson Brown, the RAC International Grand Prix was staged on 2 October, using similar regulations to those that shaped pre-war grand prix racing. The track layout comprised the airbase’s perimeter roads, with straw bales and ropes protecting the piggery and the crops in the middle of the circuit.