The Mercedes M272 and M273 engines are some of the best to own second-hand. Each variant has a few unique foibles, but intake manifold failures are some of the most consistent across all of them....
The BMW M52TU, M54, and M56 engines are all related by their aluminum engine blocks. Until then, all prior M-series straight-six engines had used iron cases, making them strong but very heavy. The switch to an aluminum block with iron liners shed weight over the front axle, subsequently improving...
Starting a family is as expensive as ever; food costs are bananas, hospital stays can bankrupt you, and now there’s college tuition to save for. On top of everything else, you may need to swap out that sleek sports car for something with the all-important third row for hauling a family. Although...
“Time Attack” is a far simpler premise than wheel-to-wheel racing. Swapping positions and trading paint at any level is glamorous and sexy to most audiences, but Time Attack is either something people have never heard of or is discredited as your typical track day with additional steps. In...
The BMW E46 was a marvel when it debuted nearly a quarter century ago. Since then, it has remained relatively lightweight, with a powerful and exotic engine, sublime handling characteristics, and genuine character that laughs at the stereotype that German-made machines lack soul. However, its...
As we’ve demonstrated on the blog, the Mercedes 722.9 or “7G-Tronic” transmission is a tough and widely found unit. With regular maintenance, they’re as reliable as they come, but the service work needs to be correct. Mercedes offered two 722.9 variants that don’t share their serviceable filter...
The Mk6 GLI shares a platform with a handful of other performance-oriented Volkswagen models. The shared base allowed VW to engineer a smaller amount of components for a wider range of models to keep costs low and quality high. What that resulted in was a series of well-developed systems with...
NEW YORK, August 15, 2023 – Inc. Magazine revealed that FCP Euro is No. 3362 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. It is FCP Euro's tenth appearance on the illustrious list. FCP Euro was founded in 2001 by Connecticut...
The advent of all-wheel-drive in passenger cars reshaped how automakers designed every vehicle they made, whether pedestrian or performance. Audi paved the way with their quattro and rewrote the rally rulebook simultaneously, leading every manufacturer to develop their own system or seek one out....
The Volkswagen Jetta has sat alongside the Golf since 1979 as the hatchback’s slightly larger sibling. Whether your market called it the Jetta, the Bora, or the Atlantic, VW’s small sedan has been the answer to many people’s needs. Like the golf, VW has given the Jetta a few performance variants,...