A favorite among senior citizens across the nation, the face-lifted 2014 LaCrosse delivers more for its $34,060 base price, representing a $1505 increase over the 2013 model. Along with its tweaked front and rear fascias and a center stack that’s less button intensive, also standard on the 2014 model is an improved eight-inch color display with GM’s updated IntelliLink system and two side airbags for rear passengers. That last feature is new for the LaCrosse and still a rarity among new cars.

Safety figures massive on the LaCrosse, with two option packages available. First, there’s the $2125 Driver Confidence I package that includes collision alert, lane-departure warning, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, HID headlamps, and a head-up display. Order the Driver Confidence I package, and, for another $1745, you can get the Driver Confidence II package that includes the vibrating Safety Alert Seat that debuted in the 2013 Cadillac XTS along with adaptive cruise control and an “Automatic Collision Prep” system that automatically applies the brakes if a collision is detected.

The 304-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 continues to be a no-cost option for 2014 and features slightly better fuel economy at 18 city/28 highway for front-wheel-drive models (up by 1 mpg in the city) and 17/26 for all-wheel-drive models, where highway economy improves by 1 mpg. The eAssist mild-hybrid system remains the same with a promised 36-mpg highway rating.

The new LaCrosse, as with all 2014 GM models, offers standard scheduled maintenance for two years or 24,000 miles as well as five years of OnStar RemoteLink Key Fob ability that lets the driver lock, unlock, and begin the car from a compatible smartphone.

Photos and Info: 2014 Buick LaCrosseFirst Drive: 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssistFeature Test: 2012 Buick LaCrosse vs. La Crosse, Wisconsin

For those who want to pretend the LaCrosse is a Lexus, a new $2495 Ultra Luxury package purchases dark-stained wood, black faux suede on the headliner, and semi-aniline leather seats. Through July 1, all 2013 LaCrosse models are selling for $1500 off for cash buyers. Regardless of the model year, the LaCrosse poses a serious threat to reduce a number of inheritances by at least 30 grand—and possibly more.

BMW may not be ready to speak publicly about the 2-series yet—or even acknowledge that it’s happening—but the future coupe is proving to be one of the worst-kept automotive secrets in recent memory. So, even with a spy photographer recently exposing a production-ready M235i, official production details are nil. We’ve just found the 228i in filings that BMW sent to the EPA for the 2014 model year, and alongside, some useful (if expected) info.

According to the papers, the 228i will feature rear-wheel drive, the turbocharged 2.0-liter N20 engine from the 328i et alia, and will offer a six-speed stick or eight-speed automatic. In tandem with the six-cylinder M235i, this positions the 2-series as a true successor to the cult 1-series coupe—and not, thankfully, as a spinoff of the front-wheel-drive 1-series debuting next year. (In fact, that latter automobile may not even come to the U.S., BMW execs told us recently.) Figure on the 228i receiving the same 240-hp set-up of the engine that’s installed in other 28i-badged Bimmers.

Photos and Info: 2014 BMW 4-seriesComparison Test: 2013 BMW 335i M Sport vs. 2013 Cadillac ATS 3.6, 2014 Lexus IS350 F SportFirst Drive: 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG

VW began building the Golf in 1974, with the firm calculating that, worldwide, an average of over 2,000 people per day have bought a new Golf in the past 39 years.

The 30 millionth Golf off the production line was the firm’s latest BlueMotion model. With a claimed fuel economy of 88.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 88g/km, the latest BlueMotion is the most fuel efficient Golf ever built.

The event also coincided with VW receiving this year’s Car of the Year award for the Mk7 Golf.

Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, Prof. Martin Winterkorn, accepted the award at the event, saying “The history of the Golf is also the history of automotive progress.

With technologies such as the safe front-wheel drive of the first Golf, the debut of the TDI in the third Golf, ESC and the dual clutch gearbox of the fourth Golf and the standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System of the new generation, this automobile has continued to democratise progress.

An optimum of safety, comfort and driving fun are no longer a question of money thanks to the Golf. And so our bestseller lives up to the Volkswagen name.”

We’ve seen a few Ford Pintos in the series (in fact, a Pinto-sibling Mercury Bobcat won the Index of Effluency at last weekend’s race in Illinois), but this is the first race with two Pintos at the same time.

This Pinto wagon is a veteran of some of the early California LeMons races and has now migrated out to the East Coast after a few years of storage.

As we’ve pointed out before, the Triumph TR7 is one of the least reliable vehicles in LeMons racing, and we’ve got two this time: this Rover V8 (actually, Buick 215)-powered version and the Three Pedal Mafia GM 3.8 V6-powered TR7 that won Class C at the New Hampshire race last month.

The real star of the weekend so far is the Morris Marina (badged as an Austin in North America) of Grim Reaper Racing. Made famous as the automobile Top Gear claims is the worst automobile ever made, the Marina is a automobile so rare on these shores that we despaired of ever seeing one in our race.

Grim Reaper Racing also runs this V6 Mustang, a automobile that has been a top contender at many races in the last year or two. It’s very rare to see the same team competing in both Class A and Class C.

Your LeMons correspondent had a nice surprise awaiting him at the airport on Thursday afternoon: this chauffeured Geo Metro limousine. This car, which features the original three-cylinder powerplant, belongs to road-racing Cessna builder Speedycop and will be raced in a future LeMons event.

Being a 24 Hours of LeMons judge has other benefits as well. For example, a team racing a BMW E30 might paint your likeness— complete with genuine Brougham medallion— on the hood of their car. Strangely, this has happened before; it’s enough to make a LeMons Supreme Court justice feel as drunk with power as Enver Hoxha!

The region-specific BRIBED stencil for this race incorporates the logo of the PRISM program, due to the proximity to the track of Fort Meade.

As usual, sights never seen in other race series abounded at our race.

When your team wins the Index of Effluency (the top prize of LeMons racing), using the official IOE patches to make a bikini makes perfect sense… if you’re Three Pedal Mafia.

Speaking of Index of Effluency winners, multiple IOE-honoree Speedycop has decided to take another shot at a LeMons overall win, a triumph that has eluded him so far. After trying with a Lincoln Mark VIII and a BMW E36 3-series, Speedycop and the Gang of Outlaws are now gunning for the most laps with a Lexus SC400. That is, if they can get it ready in time for the green flag on Saturday morning.

We’re always more interested in the Class C race than we are in boring fast cars, though, which is why this first-gen Chevy Cavalier pleases us so much. Four-cylinder pushrod engine, bouncy suspension, and an automatic transmission— look out, British cars!

Another first-time LeMons team decided to select a solid Class C entry: this 2.2-powered Dodge Shadow. Excellent choice!

Another newcomer to LeMons, this team opted for a automobile we’d never seen in one of our races: a Subaru Forester. It’s a bit too new for Class C, so the LeMons Supreme Court placed in in Class B; we’ll see how it does this weekend and might well promote it to Class C if it grinds out lap times as slow as those of the Cavalier and Shadow.

It took a few years for the first LeMons tattoo to appear on a racer, but now we’ve had two of them show up in one race.

Will this be the next huge thing?

So many new teams at this race! Here’s an IKEA-themed Volvo 850 in its LeMons debut.

These newcomers had quite a few nice parts on their sharp-looking BMW E24 6-series; much as we prefer these vehicles to the 3-series, we felt compelled to assign some penalty laps.

This Honda team built an incredibly detailed roof-mounted spider sculpture around the parts of the engine their automobile blew up at its last race.

When in doubt, race a supercharged Oldsmobile!

These cars, plus many more (including the “Turtle Eclipse of the Heart” Mitsubishi) will begin their rod-throwing, brake-roasting competition on Saturday morning. Check in to see how it all sorts out!

First of all, the Class B ’86 Oldsmobile Delta 88 of Not So Fresh Off the Boat Racing stayed ahead of the other 96 vehicles for much of the morning, inspiring crazy speak that this improbable race leader (with its supercharged 3800 V6 swap and comfy suspension) might be able to keep it up all weekend. Sadly, a rash of black flags brought Not So Fresh Off the Boat Racing back to earth, and the team completed the day in P16.

The 1987 Mazda RX-7 of Ghetto Motorsports took the lead about midway through the day and held onto it through the rest of the session. LeMons racers who compete in the B.F.E. GP in Colorado know all about this team, which won the 2010, 2011, and 2012 events in their 1980 RX-7, but they’ve had less success with their East Coast cars. Today, though, the Ghetto Motorsports Mazda ran flawlessly and completed the day with a one-lap lead over its nearest rival.

That rival is the V6-powered 1994 Ford Mustang of Grim Reaper Racing, a team that climbed out of obscurity during the last couple of years and now contends in just about every East and South Region LeMons race.

Leading Class B, we’ve got the Rally Baby 1987 Audi 4000 Quattro, a automobile that has been around East Coast LeMons events for years, usually finishing way, waaaay down in the bottom of the standings. This race, however, has been different for the Rally Baby Audi: 8th overall and a quasi-safe 11 lap lead over the next Class B automobile (the Not So Fresh Off the Boat Olds).

In Class C, the 1971 Sea Sprite boat (mounted on a Chevrolet S10 pick-up chassis) holds a seven-lap edge over the It Ain’t My Fault Morrow’s Racing Mitsubishi Mirage. Some state that a 4.3 liter V6-powered S10 with 5-speed doesn’t belong in Class C, but in what other class could you put a road-racing boat?

Check in Sunday night to see how all this sorts out!

The 10 episode series is being filmed now at various iconic racing circuits across the country and will air this autumn.

Mat said: “We’re on the lookout for people who would like to be featured in our show who are in the market to purchase a second hand car.”

I Want That Car aims to give expert tips and advice on what to look out for and how to get a better deal when buying a used car. Mat added: “We want to help people get the automobile of their dreams at a price they never thought they could get it for. So if you are thinking of buying a second hand automobile and want to save money, get in touch with us and we will see if we can help!”

Dodge announced this day that the limited-edition 2013 Mopar ’13 Dart will be priced from $26,480. Only 500 will be made, but that exclusivity will not come cheaply: The Mopar ’13 Dart is priced at a whopping $9490 more than a base Dart SE and $4490 pricier than the Dart GT with the 184-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine.

It’s completed similarly to previous Mopar editions (Challenger, Charger, and Chrysler 300) in special Pitch Black paint with offset Mopar blue striping that runs from the front to the rear. Inside there’s a Katzkin leather interior; the driver’s seat is Mopar blue with black accents while the rest of the seats are black with blue accents. A black leather steering wheel and shift knob feature blue stitching and the dash lighting is—that’s right, you guessed it—Mopar blue.

The Mopar ’13 Dart features the 1.4-liter turbocharged MultiAir four that develops 160 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 184 lb-ft of torque, fitted with a six-speed manual transmission and a sport-tuned exhaust. It rides on gloss-black 18-inch wheels shod with 225/40 tires, the suspension is lowered by 0.3 inch, the brakes are upgraded with slotted rotors, and the power steering is recalibrated.

Instrumented Test: 2013 Dodge Dart LimitedComparison Test: 2013 Dodge Dart Rallye vs. 2012 Ford Focus SELong-Term Test Intro: 2013 Dodge Dart Rallye 1.4T Manual

Other exterior touches include a chin spoiler, decklid spoiler, and a rear diffuser. Inside there’s Uconnect with an 8.4-inch touch screen, wireless smartphone charger, bright sport pedals and unique floor mats, and a personalized and numbered owner’s kit.

In contrast to other automakers that ask for subsidies both publicly and behind the scenes in order to finance alternative-fuel projects, Dürheimer gladly will do without publicly funded handouts. He went on to state that government subsidies are important for small companies, emphasizing that a considerable amount of research and development couldn’t have been conducted without such aid, but that bigger companies like Audi don’t need them. The former BMW and Porsche executive saying, “I have learned that you don’t use subsidies as the foundation of a business case.”

Dürheimer’s aversion to subsidizing alternative-fuel projects stretches to his own brand. “We want to make money with vehicles at Audi, and we do not want customers of our other conventionally powered vehicles to pay for electric cars,” he says. Production cars, according to Dürheimer, “have to make economic sense.”

This no-nonsense approach has led Audi to axe plans for a production version of the fully electric R8 e-tron, leaving the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive without a direct competitor. Nevertheless, after a spin in one, we can attest that the R8 e-tron has been developed to virtual perfection. The artificial sound is turbine-like, and this matches the driving experience. Unless the dull Efficiency mode is chosen, the e-tron takes off with the vengeance of two electric motors and 605 lb-ft of torque. Auto mode is just fine, but it’s when the e-tron is set to Dynamic mode that the electrified R8 really shines, providing aggressive responses and extraordinary handling characteristics. The torque-vectoring system keeps the e-tron on the line, and switching off the stability control grants for drifting on demand. But no matter how amusing the R8 e-tron drives, and no matter how much we all beg, there’s nothing that will change Audi’s decision not to sell the car. An initial run of 10 vehicles were produced for evaluation and test purposes, but there will be no 11th.

Instrumented Test: 2014 Audi R8 V-10 PlusComparison Test: 2012 Audi A7 3.0T Quattro vs. 2013 BMW 640i Gran CoupeInstrumented Test: 2013 Audi S8

Even more rare will be the hydrogen-powered A7, of which Audi will build one, perhaps two units, beginning this summer. Dürheimer has made it clear that this car has no chance to be put into production within the next 10 years, citing a market that has failed to develop. The hydrogen-powered A7 will use fuel-cell technology provided by Volkswagen, who is in charge of hydrogen R&D within the VW Group.

When the time came for our Chrysler 300C to exit the C/D stage, it did so without a hint of drama. So casual was its departure, it actually lingered about the office long enough to collect a thousand or so additional miles and some final comments. The 300C’s amiable personality and cavernous interior helped the huge lug win a lot of friends here, and a couple of log book comments were repeated over and over again during its tenure: “This is a great highway cruiser,” and “nice engine.” And even though it continued to surprise drivers with moves that belied its size and heft, the 300C’s true forté was effortlessly gobbling roadway hundreds of miles at a time. READ MORE ››

In an exclusive interview with Auto Express, Hammond stated there would be a major announcement later this year on the prospect of an increase.

The move was strongly backed by former Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, but has fallen down the Department for Transport’s list of priorities under current Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.

But Stephen Hammond told Auto Express: “It is not dead. We are thinking about it; we are thinking about how we could trial it rather than go to a consultation.

“I think it would be important to have a good evidence-based trial. We are still working on that and I suspect that we are going to be able to state something on that in the autumn.”

According to Hammond, this could mean trials taking place during 2014.

He continued: “If we are realistic, you probably will not see it happen before the summer of next year. It might need a whole year to put the whole regulatory format in place.

“What we want to do is select the two or three areas where we trial it fairly carefully. My message, though, is that it [80mph] has not been lost.”

Hammond added: “Our philosophy is that we should have the right speed on the right road.”

Philip Hammond was a major supporter of raising the limit, arguing that it could “provide hundreds of pounds for the economy”, generated by lowering journey times.

But road safety charity Brake has been a vocal opponent of plans to increase the limit to 80mph, arguing it is likely to “lead to more deaths, crashes and serious injuries”.

Don’t miss the 19 June issue of Auto Express for the full interview with transport minister Stephen Hammond, where he speaks to us about the road network, young drivers, road tolling, cyclists and much more.

MG3 customers can pick from three different trim levels, 10 colours and 10 different graphic packs for their car. What’s more, higher-spec models get 16-inch diamond cut alloys, bigger side sills and chrome exhausts.

All vehicles are fitted with hockey-stick shaped LED running lights in the front bumper, blacked out A-pillars to create a wraparound windscreen and MG’s latest full-width grille.

The MG3’s design has come out of SAIC’s newly revamped European Design Centre based in Birmingham – now the fifth largest design studio in Britain.

The MG3 will come with a 104bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine initially when it arrives in showrooms this autumn. More engines are expected to be offered later in the car’s life-cycle.

Typically, our collective awe is focused on the hot vehicles that flow through our office every day. But this Monday was different, because our awe was directed not at a car, but a man by the name of Sebastian Vettel. That’s right, the reigning F1 champion strolled through our front door and incited the sort of slack-jawed reaction not often found outside of the throngs of teenage girls who follow Justin Bieber’s every move.

Instrumented Test: 2013 Infiniti FX37 AWDInstrumented Test: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMGInstrumented Test: 2014 Audi R8 V-10 Plus

Hot on the heels of his resounding victory at the 2013 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, Vettel—and Red Bull Racing F1 team principal Christian Horner—sat down with our own Eddie Alterman and Dan Pund to speak the rest of the 2013 season, how he prepares for each (typically successful) race, and even some juicy tidbits from his collaboration with Infiniti. We won’t give anything away, but Nissan’s luxury division is looking at doing a supercar. Oh yeah. For the full interview, check out the video below: