Porsche Design High Quality Leather Key Ring Gold Crest Keychain For Porsche on 2040-parts.com

Carbon-fiber parts and a software fix help create a lighter, faster Fiat

Chrysler Group's Mopar parts brand and Italian supplier Magneti Marelli have teamed up on a design exercise based on the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth that shaved weight and added horsepower. The vehicle, called the Venom, has a number of carbon fiber components -- hood and side mirrors, for example -- that makes it about 200 pounds lighter than the 2,512-pound Abarth. The Venom uses software updates and additional exhaust components to boost the Abarth's standard 160-hp 1.4-liter turbocharged engine's output by as much as 25 percent.

Best of the Best for 2012: Audi A7 and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Each year, hundreds of new cars and trucks pass through the Autoweek garage for evaluation by our editors. We bring our enthusiast eye to what we'll admit is a relatively enjoyable task of sorting through all of those test cars, looking for those few stellar models that deserve additional consideration for our top honors. For the second consecutive year, we've applied all of that accumulated knowledge and seat time to pick Autoweek's Best of the Best/Car and Best of the Best/Truck for 2012.

Penske said to be considering bid for GM's Saturn

Roger Penske is considering a bid for General Motors' Saturn brand, a source familiar with the auto entrepreneur's plans said today. Penske is studying the issue but has made no proposals, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Penske, whose Penske Automotive Group dealership chain distributes Daimler AG's Smart microcars in the United States, is the second entity known to have an interest in Saturn.