D5-153x U- Joint Dana Chrysler Model 80, 81, 91 on 2040-parts.com

OFFICIAL: Alfa Romeo 4C laps the Nurburgring in 8:04s

The Alfa Romeo 4C (pictured) laps the Nurburgring in 8:04s We wouldn’t normally report on a car lapping the Nurburgring in around 8 minutes; after all, the Nurburgring lap record for a full production car is sub-7 minutes, so 8 minutes seems almost a stroll. But the lap time round the Nurburgring for the Alfa Romeo 4C is worthy of note because it’s a new lap record for a production car with less than 250bhp, and puts the Alfa 4C very much on the map as a performance car. We’d heard rumours a few weeks ago that Horst von Saurma has managed the impressive time in the 4C round the Nurburgring, but Alfa has now confirmed the time – with the 4C shod with road-legal Pirelli Zero Trofeo tyres – was completed on 23rd September 2013.

Autoweek in review: What you might have missed

Longtime Autoweek contributor Patrick C. Paternie passed away at the age of 65. He had just completed a vintage race in his Porsche 911.

McLaren 12C Spider gets public debut at Pebble Beach

McLaren has given the convertible MP4-12C – the McLaren 12C Spider – its first public outing at Pebble Beach. It’s a month since we had the reveal of the McLaren 12C Spider – the very appealing trick roof version of the MP4-12C – but we hadn’t actually seen it in the flesh. At least not until this weekend when McLaren gave the 12C Spider a public outing at Pebble Beach.