Early Chevy Quadrajet 4 Barrel Carburetor on 2040-parts.com

E85 makes inroads on cost and availability

Three years ago, we embarked on a Midwest road trip in search of what was then the Holy Grail of fuel: E85. Our findings weren't too positive--there were far more E85-compatible vehicles on the road in 2006 (5 million) than there were E85 pumps to fuel them (about 700 out of some 200,000 fuel stations nationwide). In addition, those burning the mix of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol were paying a pretty penny for their earth-friendly ways, losing about 15 percent in fuel economy while often paying the same price as for regular unleaded.

Meguiar's condition improves to stable

Avid car collector and TV host Barry Meguiar is in stable condition and his health is improving, according to a statement from Meguiar's Inc., the car-care-products company that bears his family name. Meguiar, 67, was hospitalized in Monterey, Calif., last weekend while attending the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and on Wednesday, his condition was reported as serious. The company statement, released on Thursday afternoon, said Meguiar had contracted an undiagnosed virus recently while recording his TV show, "Car Crazy," outside the United States.

Seat Leon Cupra R (2009) first official pictures

By Gareth Evans First Official Pictures 20 August 2009 10:59 Seat has unveiled its most powerful production car ever, the new Leon Cupra R, with an S3- and Scirocco R-matching 261bhp.   Performance figures for the front-wheel drive hot hatch look good: 62mph is dispatched in 6.1 seconds, the top speed is 155mph, and yet the Cupra R returns 34.9mpg. Thank the high-tech 2.0 turbo engine from the Volkswagen group, which in this incarnation makes 261hp. Helping get all that power through the front wheels is XDS, the same system you'll find on the Golf GTI that effectively mimics a limited slip differential through the use of electronic wizardry.