on 2040-parts.com

McLaren upgrades MP4-12C for 2013

The McLaren MP4-12C supercar will get a bevy of updates for 2013, and current 12C owners will have access to most of them at no charge. First and most importantly on the list is a power increase, from 592 hp to 616 hp, a 24-horse bump through engine-remapping. The boost in power helps pull the McLaren to a 10.6 quarter-mile, one-tenth of a second faster than in the previous year model.

U.S. seeks 5 percent annual fuel-economy gains through 2016

The Obama administration today proposed gasoline mileage and greenhouse-gas pollution standards for new vehicles for model years 2012 to 2015, filling in the blanks for manufacturers en route to a 35.5 mpg national target in 2016. The Transportation Department and EPA proposal calls for fuel economy to increase by about 5 percent each year, starting from an average of 27.3 mpg for the 2011 model year, the agencies said in a statement. The average car buyer would save more than $3,000 in fuel costs over the life of a vehicle, the statement said.

Video: Rally driver Higgins blasts a Subaru WRX STI around the Isle of Man

More than 200 corners over 37 miles: That's the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course, and Subaru has just released a video of rally driver Mark Higgins lapping it in 19 minutes, 37 seconds. For those keeping score at home, that's an all-time course record, with speeds averaging 115.356 mph. Even more interesting?