You don't have to wait until 2011 to go topless in a Camaro

Spending $16,000 or more to make a Camaro into a Camaro convertible isn't a rational decision, but we can certainly understand people wanting one. We drove the concept version of this car from Chevrolet two years ago ("Top This!" AW, July 2, 2007) and loved it. Back then, Chevrolet planned to release a convertible version of the new Camaro in November 2009, but an economic cliff intervened, pushing production to the second quarter of 2011.

Third Tesla Model S catches fire

Update: According to an Automotive News report, "NHTSA said it will contact local authorities about the latest fire 'to determine if there are vehicle safety implications that merit agency action.'" The agency had previously backed away from an investigation after determining that vehicle defects were not to blame for the fire in early October. Just after Tesla Motors reported a $38 million third-quarter loss and within a few weeks of two other car fires, a third Model S sedan reportedly burned on the highway near Smyrna, Tenn. The Tesla Motors Club forum supplied photos of the crash, which occurred around 1:30 Wednesday afternoon, in addition to intense speculation on the cause of the fire.

Skoda Ocatvia vRS gets a new face

Skoda Octavia vRS gets a facelift and a titivate to bring it in line with the rest of the range In keeping with the changes made to the rest of the Octavia range late last year, Skoda has now rolled out the new look for the vRS (and the Scout) to bring the family looks to the whole range. Up-front you get a redesigned grill with a vRS logo and the option of xenons with adaptive lighting. You also get a set of front fog lamps with optional cornering, and some daylight running LEDs.