Mercedes R129, Grill on 2040-parts.com

Lotus named lead marque for Goodwood

Lotus will take a place of pride as lead marque at June's Goodwood Festival of Speed, backed by an expected record attendance of more than 40 historic racing Lotus models. “Lotus is an incredibly important British car marque, and we plan to have maybe the greatest concentration of a single marque that we've ever had at the festival,” said Lord March, whose Goodwood historic house provides the backdrop for the four-day event beginning on June 28. Emerson Fittipaldi will be reunited with his championship-winning Lotus 72 and an early Lotus 7 race car, a type that many drivers--including British Le Mans legend Derek Bell--cut their teeth on in their formative years.

GM contacting Chevrolet Volt owners as NHTSA investigates battery fire

General Motors on Monday said it is contacting all owners of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid to reassure them that the car is safe as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigates a battery fire from a Volt that was crash-tested. GM said any Volt owner who had safety concerns would be offered a different GM car as a loaner vehicle. Executives also stressed during a teleconference that the battery issues were seen only in vehicles in the crash tests.

IAT Crosswind II concept (w/ Gallery)

The Crosswind II concept was one of three very competently resolved full-size models displayed on IAT's large stand at the Beijing motor show. A development of the Cross-Coupé model seen two years ago in Beijing. It's a simple concept: the top half is coupé, the lower half has a tough offroader aesthetic,  and it's powered by a 150kW electric motor.