Yamaha Xj 550 Maxim Rear Wheel on 2040-parts.com

Off the line: Fun cars and social responsibility Autoweek op-ed stands the test of time

It's been almost 21 years to the day that Autoweek printed Matt DeLorenzo's column “Off the Line: There's room for fast, fun cars in diet of social responsibility.” And in those two decades plus, not much has changed except the vehicles themselves. For example, sports cars like the Bugatti Veyron and Pagani Huayra have astronomically high performance and safety levels; similarly, sport-utility vehicles that haul entire families (and most of their earthly possessions) achieve fuel economy similar to that of 1970s midsize sedans. To read all of DeLorenzo's thoughts and his case for automobiles, click the links to download the article.

Test your car's audio quality with iTunes playlist

General Motors audio engineer Matt Kirsch, who did the sound work for the Chevrolet Cruze, has developed an iTunes playlist that helps drivers test their cars' audio quality. The “10 Songs for an Audio ‘Test Drive'” playlist includes: “Don't Know Why” by Norah Jones “Diamonds and Rust” by Joan Baez “No One” by Alicia Keys “Hotel California” by the Eagles “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas “Rock That Body” by the Black Eyed Peas “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap “He Mele No Lilo” by Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu (from Lilo & Stitch) “Bird on a Wire” by Johnny Cash “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box” by Radiohead While “Boom Boom Pow” and “Rock That Body” should have accurate and powerful bass beats, “No One” and “Bird on a Wire” should feature clarity in the vocals. Kirsch's playlist is available for download at http://tiny.cc/c2ach.

Nissan GT Academy hits halfway point

The Nissan GT Academy returns on Thursday night on Spike TV at 11:30 p.m. Normally we’d post a review on Thursday, but we’re going to be in a turkey coma on the couch just like you. If you didn’t catch last week’s episode we have it here now so you can catch up.