1994 277 Tundra Ii / Lt Skidoo Air Box on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: A 1,000 hp hearse, behind the Jean Claude Van Damme Volvo shoot and a secret Argentinian racetrack

-- We've said it before, and we'll say it again: There's something a little bit different about "professional car" people. Not bad, mind you, just different -- it takes a special sort of person to rock a vintage ambulance or hearse. But a blown Caprice corpsewagon kicking out 1,000 hp?

Buick LaCrosse with eAssist priced at $30,820

The freshly stickered 2012 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist will start at $30,820, including destination costs, the brand said on Wednesday. Buick says the 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist is rated at 37 mpg in highway driving, a 25 percent improvement over the 2011 LaCrosse. The improvement comes from eAssist, a mild hybrid system that uses a belt-driven electric motor-generator and a lithium-ion battery pack.

The Name Game: Why the next Buick will be called the Verano

Verano means “summer” in Spanish, though it could easily be a type of coffee or even a brand of crystal. But the idea behind the latest Buick was to snare an upscale, forward-sounding name to lure to new customers. Buick could have gone with an alpha-numeric designation, or even dipped into its heritage for a storied moniker from the past.