Panda Cartoon Plush White Auto Car Rearview Mirrors Cover on 2040-parts.com

Next Dodge Viper will shed some rough edges

Little by little we're getting a clearer picture of the next-generation Dodge Viper SRT10. During a conversation with Dodge boss Reid Bigland at the Los Angeles auto show, Bigland told me the redesigned Viper "will appeal to a broader segment of the market." The car is expected to debut in 2012 but is not likely to appear at the Detroit auto show, he says. Today's Viper is essentially a street-legal race car.

U.S. set to raise fuel-economy standard

Government regulators will get their prize of higher fuel-economy standards, and automakers will get the certainty of a national emissions standard, under new rules to be proposed Tuesday by President Barack Obama. The fleet average fuel economy for automakers will rise to 35.5 mpg in 2016 under the president's proposal--10 mpg more than today's mandate. At the same time, the president's proposed rule will cut carbon emissions, thought to be a key factor in global warming.

Brits prefer driving abroad

BRITISH DRIVERS say they would rather drive abroad than in the UK because continental roads are less congested and in better repair. The lower price of fuel in continental Europe also attracts British drivers. Every year, 4.2 million British drivers head to Europe and research by the RAC shows the UK ranks only 24th when it comes to the quality of its roads.