When word first came down that Subaru was overhauling its long-in-the-tooth boxer 4-cylinder engine, automotive circles immediately began speculating as to what the new powerplant would bring to the table, both in terms of fuel economy and horsepower. After all, it had been 21 years since Subaru gave its engine architecture a significant once-over, and in that time the technology behind most modern 4-cylinder engines had changed dramatically. Manufacturers are now employing any number of fuel-saving tricks to keep both consumption and emissions down, all while generating ever more impressive power levels; therefore, when it came to a new Subie boxer, our minds ran wild with thoughts of direct injection and stop-start systems.

Unfortunately, it looks like none of that has turned up in the new engine. Subaru says that thanks to a few tweaks, the powerplant is now 10 percent more fuel-efficient -- but when that new, more efficient engine is bolted to the 2011 Forester, buyers can expect a mere 21 mpg city/27 mpg highway. For comparison’s sake, last year’s automatic Forester netted 20/26. When it comes to its new engine, it’s clear the Japanese manufacturer isn’t interested in shattering records. 

 

Most people would be happy with 15 or 16 solid years' worth of service from their car. Grace Braeger's last automotive purchase has lasted for 53 years.

Braeger, who in 1957 was told by her mechanic that it was about time to replace her 1950 Chevy, went to a Milwaukee dealership bearing her surname -- King Braeger, now Braeger Chevrolet. There, she traded in her 1950 model and put down $2,250 in cash for an almost-new 4-door 1957 Bel Air, a demo model that had 4,239 miles on it. It also boasted power brakes, power steering and a beefy 283-cubic-inch V8 engine. The rest was history: Braeger still drives the car to this day, more than 50 years later, and the gleaming Chevy is showroom-ready thanks to her conscientious care and a restoration during the 1980s.

Check out a video of Braeger and her Bel Air after the jump. 

 

The Porsche Boxster and Boxster S are simply spectacular cars. Unfortunately for Porsche, they are often dismissed as nothing more than cute little "chick cars.” This is a problem for the “No Substitute” automaker, since much of the market for $60,000 sports cars is made of middle-aged men tragically trying to recapture their youth. (Sorry fellas, but it’s true.) The all-new Boxster Spyder, however, is different. It ain’t no chick car; this drop-top has cojones. It took just 15 miles in the saddle for us to become smitten with this beautiful machine, and an additional 485 to fall madly in love with it.

 

In the sports car world, creating a machine that is balanced and lightweight is essential. A car that has a perfect weight balance front and rear will respond more predictably than one that does not, allowing the driver to put the vehicle exactly where he wants it in a turn. And lighter weight translates into quicker reaction times, higher speeds and better handling.

 

Among the first product moves that Volvo is considering as it adapts to new management is the addition of a small sedan that targets BMW's 1 series and a compact crossover to go up against the BMW X1.

The sedan would be smaller than the S40, said Doug Speck, CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. The S40 will be phased out in the next two years because it is regarded as too close in size to the redesigned S60 sedan.

"We need enough gap in size to justify small and large vehicles," Speck said at the press launch of Volvo's new-generation S60.

Volvo wants a small crossover because "there will be more X1 counterparts in the luxury segment," he said.

New CEO Stefan Jacoby is driving the product assessment at Volvo, which was acquired this summer by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. of China.

 

It’s unlikely that taxpayers will ever see every penny of the $52 billion that the government put into General Motors. But the Treasury Department’s plan to hang onto a good chunk of its 61 percent stake in GM -- rather than sell it all at once during GM’s initial public stock offering -- is a smart move. It's clear that everyone wants the government out of the car business, including the government. But holding onto a meaningful stake until GM recovers fully and seriously boosts its stock price should ensure that taxpayers see more money in the long run.

 

The New York Times reported that Treasury has cooled off GM’s plan for an IPO that might have rivaled Visa’s 2008 offering as the largest in history, when the credit-card king raised more than $19 billion. Instead, the feds want GM to get the highest stock price possible during its IPO, rather than obsess over the maximum size of the offering.