Standard/t-series Jh226t Distributor Cap on 2040-parts.com

The thinking man’s M3: Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo is world’s fastest diesel production car

German tuning firm Alpina has been tweaking BMWs since it started back in 1965 – in fact, it helped BMW develop the legendary 3.0 CSL, so it seems it knows its onions. However, its latest effort is something a little different. Not quite a conventional performance car, the 2013 Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo is actually the world’s fastest diesel production car, according to the firm.

Concept Car of the Week: Nissan NX-21 (1983)

In the early 1980s, with the new millennium still seemingly an age away, Nissan Design America was tasked with imagining the family car of the future, while giving potential buyers a preview of the forthcoming N13 NX and EXA models. The resulting concept would be shown at the Tokyo motor show in 1983. Given confidence by the increasing success and expanding global presence of Japanese cars, including the previous generation N12 NX, Nissan's designers, led by Tom Semple, decided that the NX-21 (for 21st century) was the answer.

Porsche Rennsport IV rolls on at Laguna Seca

Heavy fog for the morning qualifying runs didn't seem to dampen the spirits of competitors nor the thousands of fans attending Rennsport IV at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca. Billed as the largest gathering of Porsche race cars and drivers, the day was filled with on-track action as well as a concours of historically significant Porsches from the past 40-plus years. Three classes of race cars competed on Saturday.