Skoda trio voted 'best in Britain'

BRITISH drivers are happier with their cars than ever before, especially if they own a Skoda. According to new figures collected by Auto Express magazine's annual Driver Power survey, the average satisfaction rating for a car in the top 100 was a huge 88.36%, which equates to a 7% rise since the survey’s launch in 2002. Steve Fowler, editor-in-chief of Auto Express, said: “The UK car market is booming at the moment with over two years of consecutive growth and new car registrations up 3%, and it is no surprise given the Driver Power results.

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car revealed

Porsche will bring its latest hybrid know-how to the racetrack in the form of the new 911 GT3 R Hybrid, revealed here for the first time prior to a planned public premiere at the Geneva auto show in early March. Developed by a team of engineers at Porsche's Weissach R&D center, Porsche plans for the stripped-out race car to act as a rolling laboratory. The German carmaker wants to explore the potential of hybrid drivetrains in a racing environment before an expected announcement that it will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a factory capacity, perhaps in 2012, with a race car boasting technology based on that used in the 911 GT3 R Hybrid.

'Snake & Mongoose' movie review

There's another great motorsports rivalry being celebrated cinematically this month -- while "Rush" grabs all the global headlines, the drag racing biopic "Snake & Mongoose" has all the same elements that drove Lauda and Hunt -- minus the world stage. Hard to believe, but professional drag racing wasn't always a glamorous, high-budget affair with corporate hospitality suites and top drivers flying to races in private jets. "Snake & Mongoose" takes us back to an era when drivers needed that $500 win money to buy gas to get to the next race -- and held grudges against track owners who only paid $400.