Subaru Sambar 1999 Right Head Light Assembled [4110800] on 2040-parts.com

Transmissions gone wild!

If you've been car shopping recently, or just paying attention to Autoweek car reviews, you've noticed that the six-speed automatic -- de rigueur as recently as a year ago -- suddenly has ratio envy. The new hotness? Eight- and nine-speed automatic transmissions.

Mini crossover to carry base price of $22,350

Mini's new Countryman crossover will start at $22,350, only $550 more than the three-door Clubman wagon. A well-equipped Countryman in a Cooper S trim with optional all-wheel drive will cost just under $30,000, Jim McDowell, head of Mini USA, said Wednesday during the media launch for the vehicle. The prices include destination charges, Mini said.

Porsche 911 (991)

The release of a new generation of the Porsche 911 is always a major motoring event and the launch of the latest – the 991, which will make its debut in Frankfurt next month – appears to be the most significant since the icon switched to water cooling with the 996 in 1998. While quite obviously an evolution of the 997 and every version prior, the 991 is longer (+56mm), wider (+65mm) and lower (-11mm) than its predecessor, while the wheelbase has been extended in order to increase rear leg room and move the model further into the GT segment. Its front lamp graphics offer a visual link to the 918 concept car and sit above a set of angular DRL/turn signal units and enlarged lower mask intakes.