The Pilot's Night Flying Handbook • Len Buckwalter on 2040-parts.com

Mini crossover to carry base price of $22,350

Mini's new Countryman crossover will start at $22,350, only $550 more than the three-door Clubman wagon. A well-equipped Countryman in a Cooper S trim with optional all-wheel drive will cost just under $30,000, Jim McDowell, head of Mini USA, said Wednesday during the media launch for the vehicle. The prices include destination charges, Mini said.

Tokyo Motor Show 2013: The Debutants

This year we've seen some great concepts and production models debut at shows across the world, but as the days get shorter and the nights get colder, it's a signal the year is nearly at an end. For CDN, a typically hectic event schedule is concluded with a trip to Tokyo for the forty-third edition of its annual show. Ahead of its opening, the carmakers have begun to announce what we can expect to see sitting pride of place on their stands.

Tokyo Auto Salon pits performance autos against hybrids

The world's other big January auto show, the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, opened its doors to tuner enthusiasts in mid-month with a record 402 exhibitors. The Auto Salon fuses numerous styles, but the overriding theme this year was hybrid cars, with customized Toyota Priuses and Honda Insights at every turn. Good old-fashioned engine tuning is alive and well in Japan, where even new sports cars are being heavily modified, with cars such as the KRL Mitsubishi Evolution X and the HKS Nissan GT-R both boasting in excess of 600 hp.