84-812475a 3 Harness Assembly, Quicksilver on 2040-parts.com

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.

CAR interviews Le Mans-winner Allan McNish

The 2010 Le Mans Series reaches its climactic finale at Silverstone on September 10-12 when the gruelling 1000km of Silverstone race takes place. And CAR has some fabulous money-cannot-buy tickets to give away – including full VIP hospitality and pit walks – that will get you into the new Silverstone circuit and up close with the cars and the drivers. Click here to see the competition prizes Not only is the race set to be a nail-biting end to a thrilling season, but it will also act as the curtain-raiser for the new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup that will see the teams visit Road Atlanta in America for the Petit Le Mans, and a six-hour race at Zhuhai in China. The Silverstone round is going to be an epic race, which is why we caught up with Le Mans winner Allan McNish for the lowdown on tackling the new layout at Silverstone and the thrill of driving the formidable Audi R15 TDI Plus. CAR: What it’s really like pedalling the Audi R15?

Jaguar XFR-S arrives ahead of LA debut

The Jaguar XFR-S – Jaguar’s most powerful saloon car to date – has leaked out ahead of its debut tonight at the Los Angeles Auto Show. We’re hoping that Jaguar has managed to bestow extra power on the very appealing XFR without wrecking the stuff that makes Jaguar saloons so appealing – the dynamic/ride balance – which, if they have, will make the XFR-S a more appealing bonkers sports saloon than the German offerings. The promise is all there with a new butch front end, a more aggressive body kit, chunks of carbon fibre, a huge rear wing for extra downforce, a new diffuser at the back, stiffer springs, a new rear subframe with stiffer bushes, a tweaked active diff and a tweak of the stability control for more fun.