Early adopters pay more for new technology, because the company that produces it typically charges more in order to recoup its research and development costs. This is not exactly breaking news, but it does help explain -- at least in part -- a new study by CarGurus.com that suggests that, increased fuel economy notwithstanding, hybrids don't deliver good value for the money. In fact, the average hybrid costs 25 percent more to own and operate than its gas-only counterpart.

To that end, the study compared only hybrids that had nonhybrid counterparts (meaning no Prius) such as the Chevy Malibu and Ford Fusion -- 45 models in total. According to Wired.com:

 

In advance of the Mount Washington "Climb to the Clouds" -- a Pikes Peak-like hill climb back next year after a 10-year hiatus -- Travis Pastrana made the run in a fastest-ever time of 6 minutes, 20.47 seconds (for an average trip speed of almost 72 mph) in his Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car as part of the Red Bull Speed Chasers project.

Yes, this is a bit of press release fluff, but kudos to Pastrana and Red Bull, less for the record-breaking run than consistently bringing a level of excitement and daring -- on their own terms -- to the world of rally racing, record-breaking and risk-taking. They're doing interesting, compelling projects. Speaking of which, I also really wanted an excuse to post some of these awesome pictures. Check them out after the jump. 

When it comes to muscle cars, purists and enthusiasts for the new models tend to ask: Who's the boss? And when it comes to the classic high-performance Boss Mustang versus the newer, standard pony car, Consumer Reports has tried to answer that question.

Back in 1970, CR put a high-performance Boss 302 through its paces, as the magazine was and is wont to do. More recently, the staff put a 2011 V6 Mustang to the test, and so they decided to put the results head-to-head. This despite the fact that there's an all-new Boss Mustang on the block -- perhaps they haven't had a chance to do their own rigorous tests yet. Given that the Boss 302 packed a 4.9-liter V8 engine versus the 2011's 3.7-liter V6, the performance results are surprising; that is, until you consider the numerous technological advances that have happened in the last 30 years.

Yes, thanks to all our modern performance-enhancing technology, the new V6 is both quicker off the line, with a 6.2-second sprint to 60 mph versus 8.0 seconds, and faster, running a 14.8-second quarter-mile versus the 302's 16.0-second time. And let's not even talk about fuel economy, with the modern version reaching 24 mpg overall compared with a paltry 11 mpg for the Nixon-era Boss.

Full results after the jump.  

 

It seems we’ll never fully understand the hows and whys of what goes on behind closed doors at auto manufacturers. For instance, when General Motors came out with its newest compact, the Chevrolet Cruze, many wondered why the company didn’t stick with the (somewhat) loved Cobalt name. The suits at The General were quick to respond by saying that “Cobalt” had too much negative equity tied to it, and that buyers would already be jaded about the new model if it came from the factory carrying the old name. But by that very same token, it’s a head-scratching wonder that the company decided to carry the Aveo name over for another generation.

The previous take on the car was the kind of horrible usually reserved for Third World taxicabs, so you would think that GM would want to sweep the Aveo name under the rug and keep on trucking. That’s not the case, though. The company just announced that it will display a show-car version of the 2011 Aveo at this year’s Paris Motor Show, and that it will be an all-new vehicle from the ground up. 

Sporty, yes; not, however, factory-made.

Still, this Heico Sportiv "T6" upgrade of a Volvo S60 does bring back memories of the Swedish manufacturer's "R" badge, boosting horsepower to 330 from 300 and adding a sport front spoiler and rear diffuser, plus new wheels and a quad exhaust -- styling and performance cues that seem odd, yet somehow so right, on one of Volvo's slicker models.

Check it out in action (originally found at Jalopnik) after the jump. 

Chuck Squatriglia over at Wired took some time -- both behind the wheel and behind the driver -- in the Equus, Hyundai's entry into the true luxury market, and he has a message for the other luxury badges: Be afraid; be very afraid.

If the Genesis is playing in the shallow end of the luxury market, the Equus is ready to swim in the deep -- especially those models with the Ultimate package, designed for owners more likely to be driven than to drive. That model comes with reclining, massaging rear seats, a refrigerator and a few other extra amenities. But even the Equus Signature package, which is expected to make up most of the car's sales, is awash with leather, chrome, wood and plenty of technological bells and whistles. 

One of the current realities for the automotive industry is that many new models don't compete for customers' attention solely with track times or fuel efficiency, but with technology. GM was a pioneer with its OnStar onboard concierge service, since expanded to include various types of applications and services. Ford made "the democratization of technology" a key focal point in its turnaround, offering what was considered high-end in-car tech in the form of its MyFord Touch and Sync systems, which run on Microsoft technology, on low-price models. Now, GM looks to take a similar strategy -- likely as a direct shot across Ford's bow -- by offering free OnStar services to new customers.

According to Automotive News, the subscription OnStar service will receive an upgrade this month that moves it past accident alerts, directions and vehicle diagnostics to include links to social media sites and voice-to-text translation of incoming messages.