HPP turns Challenger into Superbird

Those of you pining for the high-winged days of the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird can open up your checkbooks and make one payable to Heide Performance Products out of Madison Heights, Mich. The company can turn any Dodge Challenger into a '70s-inspired pavement burner, though they leave the actual pavement-burning modifications up to you: the Superbird/Daytona kit is an appearance upgrade only. The full kit comes with a nose cone assembly ($5,999), three-piece wing ($2,499), functional Shaker hood and scoop ($2,499), rear aluminum louvers ($899), HPP Challenger hood pins ($179), Daytona or Superbird taillight overlays ($189), fender gills ($89), pistol-grip shift lever ($149) and rear diffuser ($1,299), or a total of $13,800.

Aston Martin AM 310 Vanquish

Aston Martin has released details of its 2013 AM 310 Vanquish, the modern interpretation of its classic luxury sports car which is set to replace the DBS. One-77 design cues such as the flowing waistline and LED light blade rear clusters and new design elements such as the lift-reducing rear Aero Duct, bonnet vents, sculpted roof and side strakes feature. A splitter, light-catching side skirts and a rear diffuser form a near-continuous ring of exposed carbon fiber at the base of the car.

U.S. examining Mini Cooper steering

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is investigating Mini Coopers for unexpected loss of power steering. NHTSA has launched an investigation of 2004-model Coopers after receiving 54 consumer complaints and a confidential number of field reports, the administration stated on its Web site. The reports state that it is hard to control the vehicle when the power steering fails.