Harley Shovel Evo Colony Upper Pushrod Covers Colony (inner) 79-later 9213-4 on 2040-parts.com

Ford debuts another Australian hot rod

Ford's Australian-based Performance Vehicles operation has unveiled its fastest car to date—the Falcon-based FPV GT R-spec. To be assembled at Ford Performance Vehicle's headquarters on the outskirts of Melbourne, the rear-wheel drive GT R-spec packs the same engine as the earlier GT335, a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 producing 449 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. But, a range of chassis modifications, including a retuned suspension, wider 19-inch rear wheels and tires and new launch control system are claimed to provide the greater off-the-line speed than any previous model from Ford's Australian outpost.

Mazda3 MPS and i-stop to launch at Geneva

With a new model of the Mazda3 released at Bologna, Mazda has now added more to the range with the announcement that the Mazda3 MPS and i-stop will be launched at Geneva in March. The Mazda3 MPS is the ‘Hot Hatch’ version  of the Mazda3. Aggressive styling, including a big air scoop at the front, new grill trim and front fogs, a big spoiler at the back and twin exhausts, leave you in no doubt that the MPS means business.

Coming soon: A bigger, better autoweek.com

First, we want to thank all the readers who have helped make autoweek.com what it is today -- we've worked hard to ensure no nugget of cool car news falls through the cracks, and we've been rewarded by a 100 percent increase in visitors over the past two years. That said, we also know there's a lot about our site design that can be improved. Articles don't "pop" the way they should, the home page is far too busy, and our commenting system is…well, let's just say that anything relying on Facebook deserves a healthy dose of skepticism.