Type 1 (1958) Vw Bug Trunk Deck on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes GLA SUV UK launch down a salt mine in Cheshire

The new Mercedes GLA down a salt mine in Cheshire Trying to find an unusual venue for new car launches is something that taxes the brains of car PR teams, and Mercedes came up with somewhere a little left field for the launch of the new GLA Compact SUV – the UK’s biggest salt mine at Winsford in Cheshire. The Winsford Rock Salt Mines – 130 miles of salt mining tunnels running under Cheshire – are the result of salt mining since the 19th century and now comprise of 130 miles of tunnels some 189 metres below ground, a void beneath the earth of 23 million cubic metres. Still a working salt mine, Winsford is also home to a massive storage facility for, among others, the National Archive, where constant temperatures of 14C make for an ideal storage environment.

Ferrari 458 Italia is the latest masterpiece from Maranello

Ferrari has drawn from the visual spirit of the Enzo to create a power-packed replacement for the F430 that shuns the rounded curves of its past V8s in favor of chiseled, unmistakable aggression. Boasting a new 4.5-liter V8 engine, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a 202-mph top speed, Ferrari has revealed that the car--code-named F142 and long rumored to be named the F450--will be called the 458 Italia. Following Ferrari lore, it stands for a 4.5-liter engine with eight cylinders, though why Ferrari thought people would forget it came from Italy is anybody's guess.

One Lap of the Web: the Kitzb

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. -- Older Aston Martins can now be enjoyed by the public, as the automaker has opened their Heritage Showroom in England for all to see.