Auto Meter 3911 on 2040-parts.com

Carbon-fiber parts and a software fix help create a lighter, faster Fiat

Chrysler Group's Mopar parts brand and Italian supplier Magneti Marelli have teamed up on a design exercise based on the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth that shaved weight and added horsepower. The vehicle, called the Venom, has a number of carbon fiber components -- hood and side mirrors, for example -- that makes it about 200 pounds lighter than the 2,512-pound Abarth. The Venom uses software updates and additional exhaust components to boost the Abarth's standard 160-hp 1.4-liter turbocharged engine's output by as much as 25 percent.

Chevy Cruze Diesel: As torquey as a classic Camaro?

From the Department Of Silly Press Releases comes this missive from deep within the bowels of the Renaissance Center, Junior Wool-Pulling Division, located next to the Quizno's. "Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel Delivers Classic Muscle Car Torque," it reads, and while torque is the Great Equalizer of the continued championing of the diesel engine, comparing it to the sturm und drang of launching a 1972 Camaro Z28 from the parking lot of the Hendersonville, Tenn., Shoney's is tantamount to the sort of blasphemy that gets people excommunicated. For the record, the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel's 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine produces 264 lb-ft of torque, more than the Volkswagen Jetta TDI's at 236 lb-ft.

Porsche nearing 900 orders for its 918 Spyder hybrid concept

When Porsche AG showed the 918 Spyder at the Geneva show in March, we said it was a car to “make anyone a believer in hybrid supercar tech.” Well, maybe not anyone, but Porsche now says it has almost 900 potential buyers for the two-seater hybrid prototype as the German automaker gets closer to approving production. Porsche development chief Wolfgang Duerheimer said he is confident the company will soon reach the threshold of 1,000 orders, which is how many the company needs to “make a sound business case.” The 918 has 680 hp and, according to Porsche, will get 78 mpg and run from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds. Porsche said it wants to double its overall vehicle sales to 150,000 in the next five years or so.