Caterham Superlight R600 debuts for 2013 race series

Filed under: “Too cool for the United States.” Caterham launched the fastest Seven in company history for its exclusive race series, the Superlight R600 Championship. The latest Seven is powered by a supercharged 2-liter Ford Duratec engine that churns out 275 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. That power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox and a Titan limited-slip differential.

De Tomaso bites the dust – again

De Tomaso has filed for bankruptcy again after failing to complete any of the deals Gian Mario Rossignolo had claimed would save the brand. De Tomaso has never had a an easy time of things despite building a few cars – well, the De Tomaso Pantera, at least – which had real appeal. After its last bankruptcy, former Fiat executive Gian Mario Rossignolo rode in as a white knight to put De Tomaso back on top – or so we thought.

ZF boss thinks 9 speeds is enough for transmissions

The nine-speed transmission might be where the race to add gears ends, ZF Friedrichshafen CEO Stefan Sommer said. He referred to nine speeds as the "natural limit" because going beyond that number adds weight and complexity that cannot be offset by gains in fuel efficiency. "There is no hard line, but you have to consider the law of diminishing returns.