Porsche 356 Brake And Clutch Pedal System on 2040-parts.com

Build your Mini Cooper Hardtop

We suspect that your initial inclination upon the discovery of a new model's configurator is to throw gobs and gobs of equipment at a car to see just how high the price will go. After all, that's what we tend to do. It's especially satisfying with German automakers — notably Porsche and BMW — who seem to have turned option pricing into something bordering on absurdist theatre.

Demise of kei cars on the horizon?

The kei car has long been a staple of the Japanese automobile industry and its car culture. Too diminutive for Western markets, the tiny cars and trucks are a strong influencer of design in Japan. Now, as The New York Times reports, the Japanese government has hit kei cars with increases in sales tax, gasoline prices and has reduced the kei car tax break introduced to make the cars popular in the first place by 50 percent.

Used Volvos for sale: First $290K takes both

Having decided to focus solely on their Pirelli World Challenge GT effort involving Volvo's S60, K-PAX racing has decided to sell off their two-year-old C30s. Given that 2013 is the production car's last hurrah, it makes sad sense that Volvo's not too interested in campaigning a machine that will soon be vacating showrooms. Built in 2011 to compete in the World Challenge Touring Class, the pair managed six poles and five wins under the sure hands and feet of Robb Holland and Aaron Povoledo.