1985 Yamaha Virago Xv 1000 Rear Head Ric5 on 2040-parts.com

Car-sharing programs hit the big time

Rental-car company Getaround introduced its business plan for “peer-to-peer car sharing” on May 24 at the Tech Crunch Disrupter conference in New York City. Unlike other car-renting and car-sharing companies such as ZipCar, Getaround works by connecting potential car renters with willing car owners via an iPhone app. All Getaround vehicles are privately owned.

VW to intro Passat BlueMotion Concept at Detroit auto show

While performance heads are anxiously awaiting the North American debut of the hot-heat Mk VII Golf R at the Detroit auto show, Volkswagen's Passat BlueMotion Concept offers never-before technology in the Yank/Canuck family sedan segment: a four-pot motor with cylinder deactivation. Based on the EA211 1.4L turbo motor we sampled last year in the Euro-market Audi A3 sedan, the Passat BlueMotion Concept's engine is capable of shutting down the middle two cylinders during cruise, and features the Jetta Hybrid's gearbox, a twin-clutch unit capable of decoupling from the engine during off-throttle coasting. In the Passat's application, the 1.4 puts out 150 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque; VW suggests its highway fuel economy will stand at 42 mpg.

Mercedes-Benz prices the 2012 SLK roadster and CLS coupe lines

Mercedes-Benz says the redesigned 2012 SLK350 will sticker at $55,675. The 2012 CLS550 starts at $72,175, and the high-performance CLS63 AMG will start at $95,775. All prices include shipping charges.