Range Rover Sport sets desert crossing record

A RANGE Rover Sport has set a new record for the fastest crossing of one of the harshest desert environments on Earth. The new off-roader, which was standard apart from an additional protection plate under the chassis, crossed the Empty Quarter in the Middle East between Wadi Adda Wasir in Saudi Arabia and the border of the United Arab Emirates in 10 hours and 22 minutes at an average speed of 51.87mph. Covering 530 miles en route to the new record, the Range Rover Sport was driven by veteran Dakar rally expert Moi Torrallardona, a man who understands everything there is to know about driving large off-road vehicles in demanding desert conditions.

2010 Kia Forte: More goodies for a lower price

The new Forte replaces the Kia Spectra compact sedan for 2010. Kia's biggest seller gets new skin and a wider, longer version of the Hyundai Elantra platform for the 2010 model year but falls short in simple things such as the workings of shifters and clutches. Still, it's only $14,390 to start, and that includes Bluetooth, an iPod jack and three months of Sirius satellite radio.

Michelin Challenge Design announces 2014 theme: ‘Driven/Undriven: The Duality of Tomorrow’s Automobiles’

Michelin has announced the theme for the 2014 Michelin Challenge Design competition – ‘Driven/Undriven: The Duality of Tomorrow's Automobiles'. Participants will explore the human-to-vehicle connection, focusing on how this can evolve automotive design. The exploration of autonomous vehicles has gathered pace in recent years, with Toyota displaying its autonomous Lexus car at the recent CES in Las Vegas, while other carmakers and even Google have been investing heavily in the concept.