98 Mazda B-3000 A/v Am-fm-cd, Id F87f-18c815-bb on 2040-parts.com

Chevrolet Volt fire probe is closed, NHTSA says

U.S. safety regulators said Friday that they've closed an eight-week investigation into the Chevrolet Volt, concluding that the plug-in hybrid's battery doesn't pose a significant fire risk following a crash. In a statement, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it "does not believe that Chevy Volts or other electric vehicles pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles." The agency said that modifications intended to reinforce the Volt's 435-pound lithium-ion battery pack that General Motors announced on Jan.

GM's Ed Whitacre meets the press in Web chat

General Motors' new front man, Ed Whitacre, remains a bit of an elusive figure in the car world. But at the very least, the former telecom honcho who's now the leader of the nation's largest automaker does like cars. “Oh yes,” he answered in response to that question during a Web chat on Tuesday, one of his first interactions with the media so far in his tenure at the helm of GM.

Win some goodies from the VW Motorsport collection

Carlos Sainz won the 2010 Dakar rally car category in his VW Race Touareg 2, and now VW’s motorsport division is gearing up for the Nurburgring 24-hour race. To celebrate El Matador’s win, and in anticipation of an epic race at the ‘Ring, CAR is giving away a collection of Volkswagen Motorsport gear. Click here to enter our competition Up for grabs are a Motorsport Rain Jacket (worth £35), the Motorsport Function Jacket (£60), the Motorsport Sports Bag (£40) and a 1:43 model of the Scirocco GT24 racer.