Volvo 850 Bumper Grilles Set Oem 1994-97 on 2040-parts.com

Buick Encore gets innovative all-wheel drive system

Buick is touting the Active On-Demand all-wheel drive system in the new Encore SUV. Instead of a traditional AWD system that directs torque to wheels only when slip is detected, the Buick system sends motive force to the rear on every launch. Then, if no slip is detected, a computer disengages torque to the clutch, returning the car to front wheel drive.

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.

New SRT Viper spotted in the wild

Sure, we've seen the 2013 SRT Viper at the New York auto show and in glossy magazine photos. But how does it look on the street, among other more pedestrian vehicles? Autoweek reader Spencer Abbott spotted this 2013 SRT Viper cooling its heels in a Metro Detroit parking lot.