Vintage 60's Franklin Quick Change Rearend on 2040-parts.com

Consumer Reports ranks the Kia Sorento third among small, midsize SUVs

The 2011 Kia Sorento EX V6 now ranks third in the Consumer Reports ratings for small and midsize SUVs. Having earned an “excellent” overall score of 82 in recent tests, the Sorento trails only the Subaru Forester 2.5XT and the Toyota RAV4 V6. The magazine notes that the Sorento has a very firm ride and that the six-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly.

2013 Skoda Octavia price & specs – costs from £15,990

Skoda has revealed prices and specifications for the new Octavia which will cost from £14,990 rising to £23,240. The new Skoda Octavia – Skoda’s new Octavia built on the new VW Golf platform – was revealed last month and goes on sale in March, so Skoda have had their abacus out to work out how much they want for a piece of new Octavia action. Starting point is the Octavia 1.2 TSi S which will cost £15,990, with the cheapest diesel – the Octavia 1.6 TDI S – starting at £18,040 and the range topping out with the Octavia 2.0 litre diesel Elegance at £23,240.

One Lap of the Web: Diesels, Deadmau5, Excalibur and Excelsior!

-- It's the 50th anniversary of Excalibur, the company with fine craftsmen who keep the neoclassical motoring dream alive, or in some vaguely zombielike semblance thereof. And while the Excalibur's retro vibes arose from the mausoleum of the Mercedes-Benz SSK, Hemmings has discovered Brooks Stevens's other neoclassic: the Excalibur 35X, meant to look like a Bugatti Type 35. Just 27 were built in Italy on the chassis of Opel Commodores, fitted with inline-sixes.