Thule 1520 Kit on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: The Economist talks cars, Maria Sharapova's Porsche and crazy bikers

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- Have you ever seen two motorcycles going wheel-to-wheel at 200 mph in the rain?

Aston Martin V12 Vantage roadster to start at $233,340

Aston Martin dropped the details of its UK-onlyV12 Vantage roadster on Tuesday, and the news is good. The new convertible will boast 509 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque from Aston's signature 6.0-liter engine. The roadster shares many of the technical features and specifications from the hardtop version, though some elements had to be changed to accommodate the folding soft top.

Monterey Historics renamed; Dan Gurney to be honored at first event

Iconic racer Dan Gurney will be the first featured guest at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion in August, an event formerly known as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races. Gurney will be honored with displays of Eagle race cars spanning his career, including Formula One, Indy cars, Trans-Am, Can-Am and IMSA GTP prototypes. He'll also have a public interview and autograph session.