1988-1998 Chevy K1500/suburban Complete 4″ Lift Shackle Flip Kit on 2040-parts.com

E3: Defending the Earth, one zombie at a time

If drooling space-alien mutants hell-bent on creating a pleasure planet of intergalactic zombie love muffins ever come to Earth to steal our women, know that an entire generation of 18-to-24-year-old male gamers stands ready to defend us. So rest assured. We know this because we just spent most of a day at the opening of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3 as it's known to those who stand ready with the chainsaws, bazookas and various industrial-strength bug zappers that will be needed should the inevitable happen.

VW reveals plug-in diesel hybrid concept, claims 261 mpg

Volkswagen has used a car show in the Middle East nation of Qatar to unveil a two-seat plug-in hybrid concept car that the automaker says will deliver 261 mpg. The VW XL1 uses a lithium-ion battery pack, an electric motor and a two-cylinder, 0.8-liter diesel engine for the powertrain. We're still digesting the press release, but here are some highlights: -- VW says the XL1 can travel about 22 miles on electricity from the battery pack.

Ford Focus, Fiesta racers (2011): global motorsport

The new One Ford mantra is spreading to the race track - as the Blue Oval sends its motorsport division global too.  Announced at the 2010 SEMA show, the Fiesta R2 rally car will now be available in North America for the first time. And the all-new Ford Focus touring car (pictured) will race globally - it's anticipated to be in the 2011 British Touring Car Championship. Ford plans to coordinate and support private race teams around the world and is promising to help teams adapt the car to worldwide touring car categories.