Jets Dellorto 6mm 80-102 on 2040-parts.com

(Gas) Tax Day: How much are you paying?

Today is April 18, also known as Tax Day in the United States. Since we're car enthusiasts and not accountants, we decided to ignore the half-finished 1040 on the kitchen table and take a look at a tax that means a lot more to us--the gas tax. The gas tax is the portion of every gallon that pays for road maintenance and other transportation projects.

Porsche Boxster: First official photographs

Fresh from revealing the latest 911 cabriolet at the Detroit auto show, Porsche has issued these first official photographs of its third-generation Boxster. Photos and information about the Boxster appeared on the Internet ahead of the Porsche's planned release time set for early Thursday morning. Set to get its first public airing at the Geneva motor show in March, the thoroughly re-engineered roadster gets a lightweight aluminum body, a roomier 911-style interior and the choice of two heavily upgraded versions of the German carmaker's classic horizontally opposed six-cylinder--both now boasting direct injection, slight gains in power and, thanks to a host of new fuel-saving features, impressive reductions in combined-cycle fuel consumption.

Vauxhall Astra (2009): the first sketches

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 08 September 2008 09:00 Vauxhall has just issued these first official sketches of the new Astra ahead of its launch in 2009 at next year's Frankfurt motor show. Although heavily silhouetted, we can make out an evolution of today's mid-sized hatchback. This sketch is of the coupe-style three-door Astra, but there will again be a more upright five-door and indeed a whole suite of other Astras to fit every pocket.