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Hennessey Venom GT sets new 270mph world speed record

The Hennessey Venom GT has set a new world speed record for a two-seat sports car, hitting an official top speed of 270.49mph. Carried out on the 3.2-mile Space Shuttle landing strip at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, the Venom GT eclipsed the former fastest car in the world’s record, the 267.86mph Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. On Bing: see pictures of the Hennessey Venom GTHennessey Venom GT reaches 265.7mph top speed It’s not the first time the Lotus Exige-based sports car has tried to take the French marque’s crown, with previous tests getting oh-so-close to beating the Bugatti.

Bentley uses 3D printing to prototype new designs [w/Video]

3D printing is changing the way the world makes things by helping people of all disciplines to enhance and refine their ideas cheaply, quickly and effectively.  Bentley is the latest carmaker to utilize the technology to fabricate and prototype different parts to see how they'll look and work on the finished design. Using 3D printers, designers can produce parts from the exterior and interior such as the grille, tires, headlamps and door handles as well as combine different types of contrasting materials, ranging from hard plastics to rubbers of different tensile strengths.  The technology allows the user to create a solid 3D object straight from a digital model by printing layers of material on top of each other. This process rapidly decreases the delivery time, as parts can be printed overnight, and allows designers to be more creative in their ideas because of the reduced cost. Bentley isn't the first carmaker to use 3D printing technology. Audi announced last year it was beginning to prototype vehicle parts using 3D printers.

Honda HR-V images shown at New York auto show

Honda has released images of the upcoming HR-V compact SUV, known globally as the Honda Vezel. The HR-V will be based on the Honda Fit, though the model itself will not be debuting at this year's New York auto show. The HR-V is expected to go on sale at the end of 2014, though Honda has not released extensive details about this new entry into the crossover segment.