Putco Chrome Air Intake Cover 404507 on 2040-parts.com

OFFICIAL: Alfa Romeo 4C laps the Nurburgring in 8:04s

The Alfa Romeo 4C (pictured) laps the Nurburgring in 8:04s We wouldn’t normally report on a car lapping the Nurburgring in around 8 minutes; after all, the Nurburgring lap record for a full production car is sub-7 minutes, so 8 minutes seems almost a stroll. But the lap time round the Nurburgring for the Alfa Romeo 4C is worthy of note because it’s a new lap record for a production car with less than 250bhp, and puts the Alfa 4C very much on the map as a performance car. We’d heard rumours a few weeks ago that Horst von Saurma has managed the impressive time in the 4C round the Nurburgring, but Alfa has now confirmed the time – with the 4C shod with road-legal Pirelli Zero Trofeo tyres – was completed on 23rd September 2013.

New Kia Magentis / Kia Optima (2011) revealed

Kia will reveal the 2011 Magentis/Optima at the New York Motor Show in April Hot on the heels of the sketches we saw of the 2011 Kia Magentis just before the Geneva Motor Show, we now get a photo of Kia’s take on the Hyundai i40 (well, a CGI anyway). Which does seem a long lead time. We know that Kia intend to show the Magentis/Optima at the New York Motor Show next month, but we’re not expecting to see the Magentis in showrooms until 2011.

Subaru XV crossover teased with photo ahead of Frankfurt

Subaru XV tease photo We understand the tease, we really do. The ability for car makers to get reams of online coverage for every snippet of information they deign to impart ahead of a car launch is powerful. Which is why we have a photo tease for the Subaru XV Crossover ahead of Frankfurt.