In a move reminiscent of MINI's track challenge to Porsche, Chevrolet has challenged Ford to a real-world competition, looking to pit GM's heavy-duty hauler against the Blue Oval's best in a mountain-grade course that tests towing prowess on the way up and factory-issued exhaust brakes on the way down.

Of course, on paper Ford already wins: Its 6.7-liter Powerstroke diesel V8 engine puts out 400 horsepower and a whopping 800 lb-ft of torque, compared with GM's 6.6-liter Duramax with 397 horsepower and 35 fewer lb-ft, at 765. Then again, Chevrolet's point is that numbers on paper don't necessarily translate to the best performance on the road -- hence the real-world challenge. Or, as Chevy Silverado marketing manager Tony Truelove says, "Let's go work these trucks in the mountains, and may the best truck win." 

 

Just back from the International Motor Press Association’s annual Test Days at Pocono Raceway -- this year better known as Noah’s Ark, the sequel. Every year, manufacturers bring their latest 4-wheeled wares to the Pennsylvania hills for two days of testing, one on public roads (with SUVs muddying it up at a local ski area) and another on the Pocono road course, which also incorporates a stretch of the steep-banked NASCAR oval.

 

Veterans of the event said that for the first time in the history of Test Days -- which began in about 1972 at the now-defunct Bridgehampton circuit on Long Island, N.Y., then moved to Lime Rock in Connecticut before switching to Pocono -- the track part of the day was totally washed out by torrential rain. But the curse could have been worse. Actually, it could have been much worse: On Friday, just after journalists and automakers departed, the Split Rock Resort’s Sports Complex was heavily damaged by a gas explosion that amazingly resulted in only a single injury.  

 

The preceding, explosion-free day was a vision of fall loveliness, especially because we were surrounded by dozens of spanking-new machines. A sample of what was on tap: the Chevy Cruze, GM’s new compact car, which is just arriving at dealerships; the latest Volkswagen GTI, still one of the hottest-driving cars you’ll find for less than 30 grand; the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, both preparing to duke it out for electric-car supremacy in December; the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, as good in person as it’s been on paper; and, for a cherry on top, the mind-blowing Corvette ZR-1.

 

The dreams of getting a V8 engine, rear-wheel-drive platforms and a sports car to replace the NSX have died for Acura dealers. Now the question is whether Acura can follow Audi's lead and elevate its brand from premium to luxury with front- and all-wheel-drive platforms.

Meanwhile, Acura may return to two segments that it had abandoned by adding a compact and a coupe.

 

Most of the car news today is focused on the Paris Motor Show happenings -- and if you're interested, remember, we have a ton of our own coverage here -- but this is pretty cool. Florida automaker Mosler, sometimes referred to as the maker of "the last American supercar" (yeah, yeah--Corvette ZR1 and all that) will be competing again in the Car and Driver Lightning Lap at the Virginia International Raceway with its ultralight MT 900 Photon.

The newest MT900 weighs a scant 2,275 pounds while putting out 550 horsepower; the car is expected to sprint to 60 mph in less than three seconds. The Mosler team says the Photon has a chance to best its own 2:45.9 record on the 4.1 mile lap from 2008. (Incidentally, last year's best lap time, set by a Lamborghini LP670-4, was eight freaking seconds slower.) 

 

Brake problems plaguing almost 200,000 BMW vehicles have led to a recall by the manufacturer.

The company is recalling the vehicles in order to fix leaks in the power braking system, which can reduce its effectiveness. No injuries or accidents have been reported, and the company says the cars will still stop under the power of the mechanical braking system.

Affected models include 5-, 6- and 7-Series models from the 2002-2010 model years and powered by V8 and V12 engines; Rolls-Royce Phantoms from 2003-2010 are also affected. 

"Top Gear," the hands-down best car show on TV, and "Forza Motorsport 3," a leader of the racing-game genre, have announced a multiyear collaboration that will combine the irreverence of the two brands for many iterations of the game to come. (Disclosure: Microsoft Racing Studios, which puts out the game, is of course owned by the same corporation that owns this blog, but play the game just once for yourself and tell me if I'm biased or just telling the honest truth.)

 

From the Forza team:

"Fans will get their first taste of the results of this collaboration with 90 minutes of specially edited 'Top Gear' TV content plus access to the ‘Stig’s Garage Car Pack,’ all downloadable exclusively through Xbox Live, as part of the new 'Forza Motorsport 3 Ultimate Collection' available from this October. "