The fine folks over at Axis of Oversteer have unearthed what seem to be spy shots of the rumored 458 Italia Challenge -- the race version of the Ferrari 458 Italia. (We found them through Autoblog.)

What looks right for a track version: The suspension is clearly lowered and the tires are race-friendly single lug units (not to mention the massive carbon brakes). Also, we've got some flared side skirts and, clear as day, hood pins. Another hint, via Autoblog: 

Nissan North America Inc. has taken legal steps to create a performance segment for its Infiniti Division product line, similar to its larger luxury rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Nissan has filed for trademark protection for the names “IPL” and “Infiniti Performance Line,” according to documents on file with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

According to the applications, the IPL trademark would cover the brand's use of “high-performance motor vehicle parts,” including turbochargers and superchargers for engines, cat-back exhaust and muffler systems, shifter knobs, suspension parts, brakes, sports seats and off-road headlights.

 

(UPDATE: Not sure what happened between yesterday and today, but we've received some comments that the video wouldn't play. I've embedded a new version and reposted, and it looks like it's working now. Sorry for everyone who couldn't see it before.)

Remember way back to Friday, when I pointed out that having your automotive crime recorded on camera is a pretty stupid idea? Well, even if you're not filming it yourself (or having yourself filmed by a friend) if you do something as stupid as pulling smoking donuts and propping your SUV up onto two wheels on Dubai's busiest highway, Sheikh Zayed Road, chances are someone's going to get it on video. Most people's cell phones are mini digital recorders, anyway.

Well, if attention was what these two insanely stupid drivers wanted, it's what they got -- from the police, no less, who used the YouTube video to arrest four individuals and seize two vehicles. Two of the detainees are facing charges of endangering people's lives, which could net them up to three years in jail. Check out the video after the jump, and you'll see why. 

Toyota execs must get a little jumpy every time they read news with their brand name and "safety" in the headline. But for the first time in awhile, there's good news for the automaker: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named three Toyota vehicles Top Safety Picks for 2010. The winning vehicles are the 2011 model year Toyota Avalon, Toyota Sienna and Lexus RX.

The awards are given to vehicles that receive the institute's highest rating ("good") for front, side, rollover and rear crash protection. This new round of awards takes place after new rollover test results have come to light. (Electronic stability control -- standard on all three of these models -- is also a requirement for a Top Safety Pick award.) 

Volkswagen AG will acquire a 90 percent stake in Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A., VW said Tuesday.

The Giugiaro family will retain 10 percent in the 42-year-old automotive styling company that is famous for designing cars such as the first-generation Volkswagen Golf.

VW CEO Martin Winterkorn said Italdesign will make an important contribution to the automaker's 2018 global growth strategy.

 

Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has just made serious progress in two of its big near-term goals: going public and building the Model S on a large scale. The company has just announced that Toyota, one of the world’s largest automakers, has agreed to buy $50 million worth of Tesla stock once the purveyor of EVs goes public. Even more surprising, the Model S now has a manufacturing facility. The electric sedan will be built at the Nummi facility, a former Toyota plant in Fremont, Calif.

The benefits for Tesla are fairly straightforward. Until now, the EV maker had been seriously eying constructing its own brand-new facility. Analysts were skeptical as to whether or not the company could build a plant from the ground up and still be able to meet its target launch date for the Model S, so the fact that it now has a new physical home capable of cranking out 500,000 vehicles a year is good news. The move helps to put worrisome investors at ease and is the best proof that we can expect the Model S to arrive on time and ready to go. 

Remember way back to Friday, when I pointed out that having your automotive crime recorded on camera is a pretty stupid idea? Well, even if you're not filming it yourself (or having yourself filmed by a friend) if you do something as stupid as pulling smoking donuts and propping your SUV up onto two wheels on Dubai's busiest highway, Sheikh Zayed Road, chances are someone's going to get it on video. Most people's cell phones are mini digital recorders, anyway.

Well, if attention was what these two insanely stupid drivers wanted, it's what they got -- from the police, no less, who used the YouTube video to arrest four individuals and seize two vehicles. Two of the detainees are facing charges of endangering people's lives, which could net them up to three years in jail. Check out the video after the jump, and you'll see why. 

It's the ultimate green machine: a hybrid bike. And it sports-car maker Porsche is the mastermind behind it.

Forget the 918 Spyder--this is the hybrid for open-air fans. It's called the Porsche Hybrid RS, a concept mountain bike that has electric-drive assistance with a 30-mile range.

The concept bike's power supply comes in the form of a rechargeable battery pack that resembles a water bottle. The battery re-juices during downhill cycling.