Pirelli World Challenge star Andy Pilgrim makes teens, parents better drivers

Here's another addend in the complex driver-training equation: Many parents influence their kids to become both a greater danger when driving and more susceptible to the actions of other poor drivers. This influence begins long before kids are licensed to drive. Consider: -- “More than 75 percent of new drivers exhibit the same distracted driving behavior as their parents.” -- “Most parents are unaware they are teaching their kids things that will make them more dangerous to others and more vulnerable to others.” -- “Most parents want to protect their children and will make changes once they understand the realities of behavior transfer.” These are the words of Andy Pilgrim, the same championship-winning sports-car driver who helped road-test editor Jonathan Wong thrash Porsche's 911 GT3 and Chevrolet's Camaro Z/28.

Mercedes A Class production outsourced

Mercedes is outsourcing some new A Class production as orders continue to flood in for Mercedes’ new compact car. Last week we had the news that Mercedes will be building new A Class compact SUV – the Mercedes GLA – at the Mercedes plant in Rastatt as production of the A Class kicked off. But despite the new A Class being built at both Rastatt and the Mercedes plant in Kecskemet, Hungary, Mercedes don’t have enough capacity for the volume of order flooding in for the new A Class – over 40,000 since it went on sale just over a month ago.

Porsche 911 cabriolet: First official photographs

Porsche has developed an innovative fabric and composite-plastic folding roof for the 911 cabriolet as part of a push to give it a cleaner appearance, improved aerodynamic efficiency and greater levels of refinement than its strong-selling predecessor. Pictured here officially for the first time ahead of its world premiere in January at the Detroit auto show, the new open-top 911 is planned to go on sale in North America in 2012 in Carrera cabriolet and Carrera S models. Eschewing the traditional multilayered fabric structure of the 997 series 911 cabriolet, the next model (991 series) adopts a specially developed lightweight roof that uses two fabric-skinned composite plastic panels for the upper and rear part of the structure, giving it a more uniform shape together with a tauter fit that is claimed to make it more resistant than before to buffeting at high speeds.