In honor of Earth Day (yep, it's today), Consumer Reports' cars blog has a piece about recycling that box of plastic, lead and acid that is your car's battery.

The bad news, for the Earth anyway, is the whole highly toxic, lead-plastic-acid thing; the good news is that car batteries are recyclable and usually wind up as new car batteries, circle of life-style. From the blog post: "According to the industry trade group Battery Council International, more than 97 percent of all used battery lead is recycled into new batteries." The plastic cases are melted down and turned into ... new plastic cases, and even the acid can be made to serve a purpose. It can be turned into sodium sulfate -- used in the production of glass, detergents and textiles -- or neutralized and turned into water.

Of course, you can't just park the battery on the curb next to your old soda bottles and stacks of newspaper. 

When we told you that Toyota had agreed to pay the Transportation Department the full $16.37 million fine the government recommended for the automaker earlier this week, a few of you in the comments section wondered where, exactly, that money would go. It’s a fair question: Would the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration use the cash for safety awareness programs? Would it go toward cutting the deficit? Or would the millions of dollars simply go toward offsetting the agencies' operating costs? As it turns out, the answer is quite a bit less exciting.

According to NHTSA, that sizable lump of cash is headed straight into the massive pool of money that is the U.S. Treasury, which means that in a way, Toyota is putting it right back in the hands of the American taxpayers. The federal government will be able to use the fine for whatever it sees fit -- education, defense, public health, you name it. In the end, we'll probably never know exactly where each penny went. 

Well, I told you so.

Not that anyone in California needs reassurance that their roads are congested, clogged, eco-destroying or otherwise... but in case the need arises, here's an article that tells us what we already know: California roads are the most polluted in the country.

That's right: according to TeleAtlas study of TomTom's latest traffic data (TomTom, the GPS company, funded the study based on GPS data from drivers willing to make their driving stats available for two years) California has some of the worst-polluting roads in the country.

Let's look at what the study had to say: 

The Chrysler Group will play a key role in plans to revive Fiat S.p.A.'s ailing Alfa brand. The U.S. automaker will build two new Alfa crossover models for sale in North America and Europe.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne made a strong commitment to the money-losing sporty brand, which will be 100 years old in June, during a presentation of Fiat's five-year strategy on Wednesday.

Marchionne announced the launch of seven new Alfa models from 2010 to 2014 and said Fiat is determined to transform the brand into a "full-line premium carmaker."

Marchionne also said North America will account for 85,000 unit sales in 2014 out of 500,000 that Alfa aims to sell in that year.

 

There’s no longer any doubt that when a movie star needs a hot new car to drive in an action flick, Audi has become the badge of choice. From Jason Statham’s sinister black Audi A8 in the “Transporter” films to Robert Downey’s exotic R8 Spyder in "Iron Man 2," Audis have that edgy, break-the-mold attitude we like in our action stars. (Yes, I realize that car companies often pay for placement in films, which can lead to such sore-thumb spectacles as Robert Pattinson -- as Edward, the brooding vampire in the tween-appeal “Twilight” series -- driving a Volvo XC60 crossover. He must have borrowed it from his vampire mom.)

 

With the Audi R8 Spyder going on sale late this summer, Audi has unveiled a television campaign that spends as much time hustling “Iron Man 2” as it does the baby-blue convertible that Downey’s Tony Stark drives in the film (check out one of the commercials after the jump). But that’s OK: Audi knows that moviegoers aren’t going to race from the theater to buy the roughly $180,000 R8 Spyder, the most expensive, exclusive Audi ever made.

 

What the R8 does onscreen, according to Jeff Kuhlman, Audi’s U.S. communications chief, is introduce the brand to an audience that might not be aware of its bona fides, nor its ongoing streak of high-design, tech-savvy cars.

 

The most beloved British export since dry gin will now have a version dedicated toward a U.S. audience.

That's right: BBC and the History Channel are teaming up to create "TopGear US," with Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond replaced as hosts by three Yanks: stunt driver and racer Tanner Foust, stand-up comic and "Rescue Me" actor Adam Ferrara and NASCAR race analyst Rutledge Wood.

Foust is probably the most recognizable name to gearheads and "TopGear" faithful. He was a stunt driver for some of the insane chase scenes in "The Bourne Ultimatum" and an X-Games rally gold medalist who has also tackled Pikes Peak and international ice racing championships. 

The Le Mans-bred Porsche 911 GT2 has been captured by spy shooters on the Nürburgring, and we expect the sports car to officially debut later this year at the Paris Motor Show for the 2011 or 2012 model year.

Styling changes are minimal. To enhance performance, there are large air intakes in front, and a prominent wing marks the back end.

 

A 4-door Mercedes-Benz sporting wagon based on the second-generation CLS design language? It's been revealed at Beijing this week, and all I can say is: Yes, please.

I think most would agree that pictures of the Shooting Break concept -- with its swooping lines; low, wide, aggressive stance; and clean, logo-forward grille headlining what looks like acres of steel and glass -- are stunning. (Though, this being the Internet, I won't be surprised if I'm shouted down about this.) What's even better, though, is the quick walk-around video posted by MercedesBenzTV on YouTube, where we get up close and personal with the Shooting Break. Seriously, watch the host get into the back seat and try to think of another 4-door wagonlike vehicle in which you'd rather hold up the rear. Though not a perfect analogy, the Porsche Panamera comes to mind, but other than that, not much.

Check out said video, after the jump.