2002-2004 Yamaha Viper Hauck Triple Pipes on 2040-parts.com

Toyota to close Australian design studio

Toyota designers at its Technical Center Asia Pacific Australia (TTCAP-AU) are to lose their jobs as part of Toyota's decision to scale back the facility's activities as well as halting all manufacturing within the country by 2017. The TTCAP-AU, which carries out all its Australian design and evaluation operations, employs 150 designers and modelers and it's possible that its activities with the Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion models could be scrapped, raising doubts over its future. Around 2,500 employees at Toyota's Altona manufacturing plant are expected to lose their jobs, although the effects are likely to be wider ranging.

Fast & Furious star Paul Walker dies in car crash

AP The US actor Paul Walker has died in a car crash in Valencia, California. The 40-year-old star of the Fast & Furious movie franchise was a passenger in a red Porsche Carrera GT sports car that hit a lamp post and burst into flames. Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department attended the incident north of LA but Paul Walker and the driver of the Porsche were pronounced dead at the scene.

Performance Car of the Year 2008

In the November issue of CAR Magazine we've gathered together 29 of the best performance cars from the past 12 months to find out which is best. And to bring you the key battles of 2008 we've split the 29 cars into groups. That means the new issue of CAR features the Lamborghini LP560-4 taking on the GT2, CLK Black and Gumpert Apollo; Nissan's amazing GT-R matches up against the new 911, the Jag XKR-S and Aston's revised V8; Ford's brand new Focus ST Moutune takes on the spanking Mini JCW and KTM's crazy X-Bow meets three of the best British track cars, plus much, much more.