R1150 Gs Left Side Bag 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.

Porsche changes CEOs

The changes continue at Germany's most famous sports-car maker: Porsche CEO Michael Macht is being replaced after less than a year at the helm by Matthias Mueller. The changes take effect on Oct. 1.

Mercedes-AMG GT shows off its interior in New York

We're getting our first official look at elements of the upcoming Mercedes-AMG GT sports car ahead of an expected September debut. The new two-seater, originally rumored to be called the Mercedes-Benz SLC, indirectly replaces the SLS AMG, becoming the second stand-alone model to be conceived, engineered and produced by Mercedes' AMG performance car offshoot at its headquarters in Affalterbach on the outskirts of Stuttgart, Germany. Mercedes has controversially eschewed any traditional reference to one of its founders, Karl Benz, in the name of its new 500-hp-plus twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8-powered machine.