Samson S2-438 Exh Leg Tr/dl Cho 07-11st on 2040-parts.com

Gronholm makes explosive debut at Pikes Peak

By Alex Michaelides Motor Shows 24 July 2009 11:55 Finnish rally ace Marcus Gronholm averted disaster to make a promising debut at the 2009 Pikes Peak international hillclimb. The world rally champion’s attempt was severely hampered when the rear tyre of his Ford Fiesta exploded, forcing him to limp home to a still-respectable fifth position in a time of 11min 28.963sec. Japanese rally star Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima claimed first prize in his Suzuki SX4 with a time of 10min 15.368sec.

Video: Rally driver Higgins blasts a Subaru WRX STI around the Isle of Man

More than 200 corners over 37 miles: That's the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course, and Subaru has just released a video of rally driver Mark Higgins lapping it in 19 minutes, 37 seconds. For those keeping score at home, that's an all-time course record, with speeds averaging 115.356 mph. Even more interesting?

Tiremakers offer new tread designs and compounds for winter

When preparing your vehicle for winter, most people think about getting the battery tested, installing new wiper blades and having plenty of windshield-washer fluid on hand. Those are all good habits. But if you live in a cold-weather part of the country, installing a dedicated set of winter tires is another thing you should consider.