Lamborghini shifts R&D focus from more horses to fewer pounds

Lamborghini's drivetrain wizards say they have all the horsepower they need for their super-fast cars. So from here on, performance gains will come from using lighter materials to reduce vehicle weight, instead of from chasing more engine thrust. "It has come to the point where acceleration equals consumption," said Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of the Italian automaker.

McLaren MP4-12 650S hits the Web ahead of official Geneva reveal

Images of the new McLaren MP4-12 650S have leaked to the Internet ahead of a planned unveiling for the British supercar at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. Created in response to customer demand for an edgier version of the McLaren MP4-12C offering greater levels of driver engagement, the 650S runs a more heavily tuned version of McLaren's twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 direct-injection engine producing a claimed 25 hp more than the variant used by standard sibling for a total of 641 hp (as its name suggests 650 ps -- metric hp). Further details remain scarce ahead of the MP4-12C 650S's official public unveiling in Switzerland two weeks from now, although information passed on to prospective customers at a private presentation of the new two-seater held last week suggest it is also in line to receive a series of modifications to its seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, suspension, steering, brakes and aerodynamics -- all aimed at providing it with a more aggressive nature and added racetrack ability.

Cross-country in a Corvette Stingray: Day One

Chevrolet brought a small fleet of 2014 Corvette Stingrays to Pebble Beach last week. Somehow, we were able to talk them into letting us drive one from Monterey back to Michigan. By the end of the trip, Autoweek will probably have logged more miles in the Stingray than anyone outside General Motors.