The patron saint of gearheads must be smiling upon us. Hot on the heels of the announcement that we’ll be able to buy the Fiat 500 by the end of the year comes word that Alfa Romeo is planning a return to these shores.

Download Alfa Romeo Returning to the U.S.

Nimrod Racing Automobiles was formed in 1981, a partnership between Robin Hamilton, who had already had experience with RHAM/1, and Victor Gauntlet, the then new Chairman of Aston Martin Lagonda and also Pace Petroleum.

Download Aston Martin Nimrod (1981 - 1984)

Repsol Honda riders topped the second day of the MotoGP test at Malaysia's Sepang circuit Wednesday, but multiple world champion Valentino Rossi had to skip the session due to illness.

Download Honda trio dominate Malaysia MotoGP test

The first rumors about a new Maserati sedan placed under the current Quattroporte appeared at the beginning of 2010, but after a couple of months of heating up the air waves, the new car fell by the wayside while everyone made room for the new

Download 2013 Maserati Baby Quattroporte

The Ford Fusion Hybrid has proved a highly capable commuter, but it doesn't visually stand out in a crowd like the Prius. For those who want to make a statement with their car, this isn't the one to buy. What the Fusion does do, though, is provide a great compromise between ride and handling, with a roomy cabin and large trunk.

Download Long Term Update 4: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

After quite a long time now, and many teaser images, Mercedes has finally dropped the official details on the 2012 Mercedes SLK Roadster. The model gets a totally new design, inspired by the legendary 190 SL from the 1950s, an innovative interior with features like Magic Sky Control.

Download 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

Of all the Civic models Honda introduced at the New York Auto Show, the most powerful of them is the Civic SI. Coming in both sedan and coupe form, the Civic SI represents the next-generation of high-powered Civics that prioritize the performance potential of the Civic platform.


Download 2012 Honda Civic SI

We're in the Fiat booth at the 2011 New York International Auto Show and, despite having seen Fiat booths at a few other domestic shows, it's still slightly surreal. We're surrounded by at least 10 examples of the all-new 2012 Fiat 500 — the only Fiat on sale in the U.S. at the moment — when a local TV news reporter comes over and things get even stranger.

Download Long-Term Test: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport

Like sleep deprivation and water boarding, it's rumored that a five-hour road trip in a Kia Rio is on the CIA's list of effective harsh interrogation techniques.

When the original Rio hit the market in 2001, the above would have been believable. The Rio was the cheapest car on the market, and it drove like it. Rickshaw and hitchhiking were more favorable modes of transport.

Download Full Test: 2006 Kia Rio5

It appears BMW has been reading the reviews of its soon-to-be former X3 3.0i sport-activity vehicle. The chief complaints of economy-grade interior treatments, lack of power, harsh ride qualities and a relatively high asking price have all been addressed with the 2007 BMW X3 3.0si, which is on dealership floors right now.

Download First Drive: 2007 BMW X3 3.0si

From the Something-We-Figured-Was-Coming-But-Are-Thrilled-To-See-Anyway Department comes Audi’s announcement of the R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI Quattro. It’s basically the V-8 version of the V-10–engined R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro, which itself is scheduled to appear in U.S. showrooms starting this September.


Download 2011 Audi R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI Quattro

Dodge has recently announced that 2010 will be the last year of production for the current Viper, and that it will be celebrating with a series of limited-edition models. Following the appearance-only ACR Voodoo Edition and ACR 1:33 Edition—the latter named for the unofficial Laguna Seca lap record set by the ACR—comes the Viper SRT10 ACR-X. (For the uninitiated, all those initials stand for Street and Racing Technology 10-cylinder American Club Racer [ostensibly] eXtreme. Thank goodness for abbreviations.)


Download 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X - Official Photos and Info

VW Motorsport chief Wolfgang Duerheimer says he could see one of the VW Group brands entering the sport in 2018

Download Volkswagen in Formula One

Second win of the season and third at the Norisring for Bruno Spengler, driver of a Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class

Download Bruno Spengler Wins DTM Race at Norisring

Jaguar will take on the Porsche 918 on the road, if not the track, with its C-X75 hybrid supercar, Its name will change, and Jaguar will build just 250 examples at a price of 700,000 pounds or more, depending on the market and taxes. That "base" price comes to $1.151 million based on recent exchange rates. Orders will be taken this fall, with deliveries beginning in late 2013.

Download Jaguar Greenlights C-X75 for Production