Sprint Car Torque Tube Restraint Assembly on 2040-parts.com

BMW's new M engine needs a better voice

BMW's M division claims its new twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine is every bit as good -- if not better -- than the glorious, naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 powerplant it replaces in the new M3 sedan and M4 coupe. The figures are certainly impressive. They say it kicks out 424 hp and more than 25 percent extra torque, with what is described as significantly more than 369 lb-ft below 2,000 rpm.

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.

One Lap of the Web: Clooney on Tesla, Wes Anderson goes racing and an Aussie headbutts cars

More than a few Esquire readers were probably shocked to see George Clooney's disparaging remarks on Tesla in a recent profile of the "Facts of Life" star, but here they are if you want to read them. Jalopnik has a short film by Wes Anderson. The subject?