Steeda Wheel Alignment Kit Caster/camber Plates Upper Strut Mount Ford Mustang on 2040-parts.com

Small cars bring higher risk while SUVs are safer, insurance-group study finds

As late as 2007, parents were warned against buying their driving-age teens SUVs because of the rollover risk. Now it seems those are some of the safest rides on the road, according to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study released on Thursday. The Nissan 350Z sports car and the Titan pickup were on the low end of the list, along with the Chevrolet Aveo and the compact Cobalt sedan.

2012 Volkswagen Beetle to launch with Black Turbo edition

Volkswagen is borrowing a page from sister company Porsche and will turn to the color black to sex up the soon-to-arrive 2012 VW Beetle--and to draw attention to a preorder program launching this year. The Beetle Black Turbo edition follows in the lineage of Porsche 911s augmented with Black editions, and the VW will sticker for $25,720, including shipping. Power comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, which is the same as the regular turbo Beetle--and VW's hot hatch, the GTI.

Volvo S60 Polestar Gothenburg debut

The Volvo S60 Polestar – a BMW M3 basher – is due to debut in Gothenburg on 16th June 2012 and could get as much as 500bhp. Yes, Volvo are busy downsizing their engines and trying to up the quality perception of their cars at the same time, in an aim to join the proper premium club inhabited by the likes of BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Jaguar. But that doesn’t mean Volvo should forsake performance in their cars, because even if performance models are not the bread and butter for premium car makers they are the golden halo that casts a premium gloss on lesser models.