Polaris Mini Ranger 400 500 Ev Winch Mount (standard) on 2040-parts.com

E85 makes inroads on cost and availability

Three years ago, we embarked on a Midwest road trip in search of what was then the Holy Grail of fuel: E85. Our findings weren't too positive--there were far more E85-compatible vehicles on the road in 2006 (5 million) than there were E85 pumps to fuel them (about 700 out of some 200,000 fuel stations nationwide). In addition, those burning the mix of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol were paying a pretty penny for their earth-friendly ways, losing about 15 percent in fuel economy while often paying the same price as regular unleaded.

GT Academy winner to race at Monza

It's been a year since Jann Mardenborough entered the PlayStation GT Academy. On Saturday, he'll be on the track at Monza, going wheel to wheel with Valentino Rossi in the opening round of the Blancpain Endurance Series. Mardenborough won the GT Academy and drove in the 24 Hours of Dubai with fellow Academy winner Bryan Heitkotter in a race-prepped Nissan GT-R.

EyesOn Design Awards 2010

Outstanding achievement in automotive design was recognized at the fifth annual EyesOn Design Awards held at the 2010 NAIAS in Detroit in January. Top honors were awarded to the GMC Granite urban utility vehicle in the Best Concept Vehicle category, and the Audi A8 luxury sedan for Best Production Vehicle. Frank Saucedo, Director of GM Design's California studio, and Clay Dean, Executive Director GM Advanced Global Design, accepted the award for the GMC Granite Concept and acknowledged the importance of recognition from their design peers.