Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Driven: a week with a Chevrolet Volt

In Fall 2010, before the Volt went on sale in North America, we sampled an early build model and came away so impressed, we declared it the car for the digital age. Since then the car has received harsh criticism from the press and been outsold by the Nissan Leaf in the North American market. Given the unique powertrain, we felt longer exposure to the Volt was therefore in order, so on a recent trip to Michigan, we lived with one for five days.

Red Bull race in L.A. draws 111,000

No one really knows the precise makeup of the stuff that fills those ubiquitous Red Bull energy drink cans, but the compelling mixture seems to make people accomplish extraordinary things. For instance, on Saturday in Los Angeles, it got the city to shut down a long stretch of Grand Avenue and part of 5th Street for the wacky and spectacular Red Bull Soapbox Race Los Angeles. These events have been held regularly since the inaugural race in Belgium in 2000.

Ford preparing fastest ever four-door—in Australia

Ford's struggling Australian outpost is set to unleash its fastest-accelerating car yet in the form of a limited- edition version of the four-door Falcon GT Boss 335 sedan running various chassis-based performance enhancements, according to Australian media reports. Known internally at the company's Ford Performance Vehicles division under the code name Panther, the Blue Oval's supersedan is set to run the same supercharged 5.0-liter V8 as the standard Falcon GT Boss 335—itself a locally developed version of the Mustang's 90-degree Coyote unit with unique cylinder heads and renamed Miami. It delivers 449 hp at 5,750 rpm and 420 lb-ft of torque at 2,200 rpm.