Magnaflow Performance Exhaust 16390 Exhaust System Kit on 2040-parts.com

BMW wants to sell 1,000 of its fire-breathing hybrids in the U.S.

It's literally a grand strategy: BMW is aiming to sell 1,000 of its new hybrids based on the 7-series and the X6 in their first year in the United States. The two hybrids will be revealed in production trim at the Frankfurt auto show this month. They use eco-technology to boost fuel economy and performance.

Mazda outlines weight-loss program

Mazda Motor Corp. will reduce its vehicle weights by at least 220 pounds beginning in 2011, with a combination of lighter-weight materials, smaller vehicle footprints and new engineering processes, a top executive says. The typical Mazda vehicle has gained 80 pounds with each successive redesign, “mostly in larger tires and wheels, and safety equipment,” said Robert Davis, senior vice president of product development and quality for Mazda North American Operations.

Top Gear’s Clarkson & May run out of charge in a LEAF & iOn

Jeremy and James look for somewhere to plug in the LEAF and iOn Top Gear and electric cars don’t really mix. Unless of course they build the electric car themselves, and then you have a world-beating product in the Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust. But Top Gear and Tesla wasn’t exactly a success story.