Fusion 10 Inch Marine Subwoofer on 2040-parts.com

Driven: Chevrolet Volt

Meeting the Chevrolet Volt could easily have been an anti-climax. This is a design that ‘feels' nearly four years old — the concept first seen in Detroit in 2007. Together with the online hype surrounding it, and the part it plays in GM's renaissance, the weight of expectation is alarmingly high.

Only the top is soft in new Audi A5/S5 cabriolet

Audi is bucking the trend among luxury automakers who are churning out hardtop convertibles, as the new A5/S5 cabriolets that will reach these shores in October will be the old-fashioned, soft-top design. While other manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Volvo, among others, offer folding hard-tops, Audi says the compromise necessary to make room for the top and all its mechanical apparatus makes a soft-top the right choice for a small to mid-size convertible. The soft top is well insulated; even during a steady rain during our first drive of the car, the cabin was relatively quiet.

Opel Adam going rallying

Opel is adding a bit of rally credibility to the new Adam by taking it rallying with an Adam R2 rally car for a one-make cup. But perhaps GM Europe are hoping to inject a bit of performance credibility in to the uninspiring mechanical offerings the Adam currently offers with the revelation that they’re making a rally Adam prepared to basic R2 spec, which means a tweak or three from the standard production car. That means upgrades to the engine, suspension, brakes and gearbox to produce an Adam rally car that’s an affordable entry point for young drivers and Opel are aiming to compete in the ADAC Opel Rally cup with the Adam R2.