Shifter Kart Spindle on 2040-parts.com

Events to fire up your Independence Day

AAA expects 34.9 million people to travel at least 50 miles from home this Fourth of July weekend. We don't know where they're heading, but it looks like they have quite a few options. Our favorites?

2013 Aston Martin Vanquish: New photos and new video

The new Aston Martin Vanquish is heading for Paris 2012 and Aston Martin has released new photos and video of their range-topper. The 2013 Vanquish gets extra power – it now delivers 565bhp and 456lb/ft of torque – which propels it to 62mph in 4.1 seconds and on to 183mph, sharper new looks with hints of the One-77 and lots of carbon fibre, and a new list price that is still the right side of £200k – £189,995. And perhaps delivering new photos and video of the 2013 Vanquish is Aston Martin’s way of making sure the Vanquish has its moment in the sun ahead of the reveal of the new DB9.

Vauxhall Ampera price cut by £3,500

The Vauxhall Ampera (pictured) drops in price by £3500 Although we still feel the range-extender is the right way for car makers to go to get the car buying public to accept EVs, the range-extender Vauxhall Ampera has not exactly been a runaway success. Despite Vauxhall offering potential Ampera buyers the option of trying it for 30 days and handing it back if they don’t like it, the Ampera has failed miserably to sell in any sort of volume. So, with new competition on the way from the range-extender BMW i3, Vauxhall are taking drastic action to try and tempt buyers in to the Ampera and are slashing prices by £3,500.