Arctic Cat Ext 580 Efi Control/chip/ecu/computer on 2040-parts.com

2014 Porsche Cayman gets a performance-testing iPhone app

To promote the new 2014 Cayman, Porsche has cooked up an iPhone app called “Cayman Code of the Curve.” You're probably already rolling your eyes at the prospect of another automaker app that is little more than a downloadable advertisement, but this seems to be something different -- the app is designed to record your driving performance in real-time and then share results with friends. Porsche enthusiast site flatsixes.com has an exclusive first look at the app, which is still in development but is reported to be coming “soon.” Based on preliminary screenshots provided by Porsche, the app instructs users to set up a variety of courses -- cone slalom, autocross and reaction-time challenge courses are shown -- then uses the iPhone's internal accelerometer and GPS receiver to track and record your performance. You'll also be able to use the app's “record your curve” function to share favorite drives with friends on Facebook.

First Motorway Service Station Pub opens on M40

The Hope & Champion pub (pictured) opens at Beaconsfield Services on the M40 Where to stop for a bite to eat on UK motorways can often be a bit of a lottery, with many oif us seeking a pub just off the motorway for a bit of a break and a spot of lunch. But now, amid some controversy and complaints from safety groups, JD Wetherspoons has opened the first pub at a motorway services, with the Hope and Champion open for business at Beaconsfield Services on the M40. The Hope and Champion will be open from 4am to 1am, seven days a week, and serve the usual JD Wetherspoons fodder of passable meals and drinks and, say JD Wetherspoons, a wide range of non-alcoholic drinks, tea and coffee.

Mercedes R-class facelift (2010) first official pictures

This is the facelifted Mercedes R-class, unveiled today at the 2010 New York auto show.  It lives, and in the UK the new model will only be available as an entry level, rear-drive R300 CDI and a top-spec, long-wheelbase R350 CDI. The R300 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY 2WD (to give this big beast its full name) is 7% more efficient than before but still offers the same power and performance. The more snappily titled R350 CDI 4MATIC is also more economical (its 33.2mpg bettering its predecessor by 2.8mpg) but also more powerful, with outputs of 261bhp and 457ft up from 218bhp and 376lb ft.