GM's green future: EVs, plug-in hybrids

General Motors' future green-car efforts will focus on plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles rather than conventional hybrid powertrains, product chief Mary Barra said Wednesday. Barra said GM has narrowed its future development emphasis in an effort to defend its leadership position attained with the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. GM will unveil an electric Spark minicar in late November at the Los Angeles auto show.

First look: 2014 BMW M3 and M4

The BMW M3 is back, faster and more powerful than ever before -- but only as a four-door sedan. For its iconic 3-series-based performance model, BMW will dispense with a 26-year tradition of high-revving naturally aspirated engines in lieu of turbocharged six-cylinder power. Revealed here in production-car guise for the first time, the new 425-hp M3 sedan will be joined at the outset by its sister model, the M4 -- a mechanically identical but stylistically sleeker two-door coupe previewed in lightly veiled concept-car form at the Pebble Beach concours in California last August.

Lamborghini produces 2000th Aventador

The Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 (LP standing for Longitudinal Position, 700 for hp, and 4 for four-wheel drive) has quite the bloodline of predecessors, featuring a famed list of Italian exotics that most people would have on their dream-car list. Owing its heritage to the likes of the Miura, Countach, Diablo and Murcielago, the Aventador continues to be Lamborghini's halo car and everyone's favorite poster. As production of the coupe, roadster and other various editions continue at Lamborghini's Sant'Agata Bolognese plant, the automaker celebrated a milestone with 2,000 units being made as of Thursday.