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Earle stays with Monterey Historics for another year

Maybe the 2010 Historics won't be so different after all. Last week, the day after the Monterey Historics concluded, founder and producer Steve Earle announced that he and his company, General Racing, would no longer be producing that well-loved event. But on Thursday, in an interesting change, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca announced that Earle will be one of five selection-committee members planning next year's Monterey Historics race.

Lexus GS 300h: Shanghai Motor Show

Offering much better economy than the GS 450h, it offers not only a viable alternative for private buyers looking for a bit of beautifully built Japanese luxury with lower running costs, but also makes the GS a much more appealing option for company car drivers – probably where most of the sales will be made. Lexus are aiming for Co2 emissions below 110g/km for the GS 300h (the IS 300h manages 99g/km) which will give headline economy around 60mpg – a third better than the GS 450h can manage. Power comes from the same hybrid drivetrain as the IS 300h, which means a 2.5 litre petrol mated to an electric motor and delivering 215bhp and o-62mph in around 8.5 seconds.

BMW M5 Nighthawk special edition revealed in Japan

BMW has released a special limited edition of the M5 for the Japanese market called the Nighthawk. The special run of just 10 examples will feature a matte paint BMW calls "Frozen Black," which will extend to the 20-inch wheels fitted on the car. Other custom touches will include a blacked-out grille, with the Frozen black paint on a number of exterior details.