Ken Block signs for Ford and the WRC

Ken Block – who became a YouTube sensation with his gymkhana stunt series ¬– has ended months of speculation by confirming he’ll compete in the 2010 World Rally Championship – switching his Subaru Impreza for a Ford Focus, while he'll also rally a Fiesta in the US. The Monster energy drink-backed deal will form a key part of Ford’s plan to market its hatches in America, and follows last year’s Pikes Peak Fiesta. It’s a tentative start for Block, who’ll be competing in select rounds of the WRC championship – Mexico is believed to be the first – to hone his skills.

New-car smell less toxic but not safe, Ecology Center says

The Ecology Center released its fourth consumer guide to toxic chemicals last week, and the news is better. The amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in new cars has decreased, but we still have a ways to go. VOCs in plastics and flame retardants have been linked to a variety of acute and long-term health concerns.

New details on Mercedes' Porsche 911 fighter

Mercedes-Benz's AMG performance-car division is forging ahead with development of its new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 powered sports car, nine months before it is scheduled to be revealed at the 2014 German Grand Prix. Known to insiders by its code name, “C190” the two-seat coupe has been conceived to follow in the wheel tracks of the four-year-old SLS at the head of the German carmaker's lineup, aiming to challenge the heady performance and everyday driving appeal of the latest Porsche 911 Turbo at a price that insiders suggest will be in the region of $160,000 when North American sales begin in early 2015. Originally, AMG's new front-engined sports car was tipped to revive the iconic SLC name first used by the SL coupe back in 1971.