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SoCal Speed shop wins AMBR award as hod-rodding returns to its roots

In a competition that "took hot-rodding back to its SoCal roots," the SoCal Speed Shop--the entity founded by original hot-rod hero Alex Xydias and now helmed by Pete Chapouris--finally won the AMBR. That's AMBR, as in, America's Most Beautiful Roadster, the most sought-after title in all of hot-rodding and the crowning glory of the Grand National Roadster Show. There is that competition at the Detroit Autorama that hands out the Ridler Award, but that is open to all manner of kustom kars.

Mazda RX-8 – a tidy before the Mazda RX-9?

Mazda is updating the RX-8 for the European market, before the launch of the RX-9 in 2012 So what exactly is the new, updated Mazda RX-8 going to get? In all honesty, probably not much beyond a minor tweak or two. It will still use the 228bhp Wankel engine that sets it apart from the crowd, and should still be a bundle of fun to drive.

Next-generation Chevy Volt to have 60-mile electric range?

On the heels of the recently announced price cut for the 2014 Volt, General Motors chief executive Dan Akerson is suggesting that we may see a Volt with 60-mile electric range in three or four years. In an interview with Bloomberg, Akerson suggests that GM is hoping for a "significant" improvement in the extended-range Chevy's ability to run solely on electric power. “For something to be significant to me, I gotta get at least 20 percent improvement in performance," the CEO asserted.