Quicksilver 98230a 1 on 2040-parts.com

First Ferrari 458 Italia in U.S. auctioned for $530,000 to benefit Haiti

It's one thing to own a Ferrari; it's another to be the first one to own an all-new model. The first 458 Italia was auctioned off on Thursday night for $530,000 in a stunning charity gala held at a Beverly Hills estate that made the Clampett mansion look like the carriage house where the pool boy stayed. Auctioneer David Gooding donated his services and got the ball rolling at $250,000, which was more than the expected MSRP for the car of about $220,000.

UPDATED: Honda hints at new European advanced design studio

On the eve of the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda Design's Creative Director, Toshinobu Minami, announced that the company is looking to once again open a design facility in Europe. The announcement came during a presentation at the R&D Center in Waco, just outside the Japanese capital and, while not confirmed, Minami-san strongly hinted that the UK would be a likely candidate to play host to Honda's revitalized European design operations. He cited the country's existing manufacturing and administration facilities, as well as a wealth of new talent from the Royal College of Art in particular.

Bring a Trailer: 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX rally car

This 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX rally car is featured on Bring a Trailer this morning, and it brings us right back to our rambunctious high school years. Sure, we didn't get our licenses until 1996, but that was the perfect time to find something a few years old--preferably with a turbocharger and a manual transmission—and hoon it to death. But while there were several Eclipses floating around our group of friends, none was as built as this car.