Williams Stricking Hammer Wrench, 2-3/8" on 2040-parts.com

VW Concept BlueSport at Detroit auto show 2009

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 12 January 2009 05:29 CAR's been tipping it for ages, but today we finally saw the first proof of VW's ambitions to build a Lotus Elise-style back-to-basics roadster. The Concept BlueSport is a mid-engined sports car with the emphasis firmly on the lack of frills – to the benefit of performance, handling and the car's environmental credentials. The BlueSport is compact at just 3999mm long and that mid-mounted engine keeps weight distribution even-Stevens at 45:55.

AutoRama: Hot-rodding, chrome and speed return

Chop, drop and roll--that's the unofficial motto at AutoRama, the 57th-annual festival of hot rods and custom cars in Detroit. Chop--as in slice the roof off your speedster with some unnatural surgery to the A- and C-pillars. Drop--as in drop the biggest motor you can find under the hood.

Livin' La Dolce Vita at Monterey weekend

If you tend to not like crowds, or even very many people at all, but you love Italian cars, then you'd have loved La Dolce Vita. The Italian car celebration was modeled after the long-running Concorso Italiano. When Concorso Italiano moved last year to a wide, flat, wind-swept airport it was roundly panned by critics and car lovers alike.