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Let's get this out of the way right off the bat: We don't know if the video you're about to watch really took place in the wild or if it were staged. That said, this appears to be one of the most alarming bits of road rage we've ever seen captured on video.

Let's set the scene. A motorcyclist is riding along with a good bit of distance between him and the black Nissan Juke in front of him before accelerating to catch up. The Juke driver moves to the left in order to avoid an obstacle in the road, cutting off the motorcyclist in the process, but everyone is fine. No harm, no foul? Hardly.

The motorcyclist falls way back, apparently biding his time and getting ready. Ready for what, you ask? Keep watching – the altercation concludes with an angle grinder, a frightened Juke driver and the loss of one minor appendage that once belonged to said Juke. Finally, a sticker that says 'NTV' is placed on the car's window, a fellow motorist appears to come to the driver's aid and the motorcyclist makes a quick getaway. Craziness.

Scroll down below to see it all unfold on video.

Remember when the Cadillac CTS Coupe debuted, and we were all like, "Oh hello there?" Well, don't expect the same thing to happen when the new ATS Coupe is unveiled – these brand new (overexposed) spy shots show a two-door that's decidedly more sedate than the angular yet curvaceous and all-around good-looking CTS Coupe. This isn't to say that the smaller Caddy Coupe won't be attractive – the four-door version is plenty pretty, to be sure – it just likely won't have that extra somethin'-somethin' to truly set it apart from the sedan.

Fine, then. We don't doubt that the two-door ATS will be just as enjoyable to drive as its sedan sibling, with a lot of the mechanical stuff likely carrying over unchanged. That includes the powertrain options, meaning buyers will be able to choose from the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four, turbocharged 2.0-liter four, or larger free-breathing 3.6-liter V6.

Look for the 2014 ATS Coupe to enter production in January of next year, meaning a reveal later this year (LA Auto Show, perhaps?) would be in order.

Tesla Motors shares hit a record high Tuesday morning, reaching almost $53 a share in NASDAQ trading before leveling off slightly to about $51 as of late this afternoon Eastern time. Tesla touched $52.92 shortly after the markets opened on Tuesday. Shares for the company, which went public at $17 a share in June 2010, have jumped more than 50 percent during the past year.

The California-based maker of the all-electric Model S said earlier this month that Q1 was its first ever quarter in the black, noting that it beat sales targets. That news followed up Tesla chief Elon Musk's proclamation that it would pay back its US Department Energy loan in roughly half of the ten-year timeframe previously set. Musk has been vocal and optimistic about his company's future, which lead to an excited Tweet about an upcoming announcement, a Tweet that might get him in trouble with the SEC.

Musk isn't the only one who sees good things in Tesla's future. Last week, Time Magazine named Musk one of the 100 most influential people in the world. On Monday, Seeking Alpha went as far as to say Tesla shares could hit $144 in the "near mid term," especially as short sellers who expected the stock to fall are forced to cover their losses. Motley Fool took a more measured approach, saying that factors such as Tesla's cash position, its ability to sell cars to those other than early adopters and the prospect of increased EV competition from larger automakers will determine whether the stock surge is justified.

Volkswagen has just announced a new Passat Wolfsburg Edition, which slots between the base S and mid-grade SE trims in terms of content and price. The automaker has not released any official photos of the car as of this writing (aside from the badge shot you see here, of course), but the Wolfsburg Passat will be visually set apart from the rest by a unique set of 16-inch alloy wheels.

The big host of upgrades for the Wolfsburg Edition are found inside, where buyers will enjoy standard amenities like leatherette seats (with bun-warmers on the front chairs), a power driver's seat, satellite radio and a media interface with iPod connectivity. Of course, this comes on top of the already standard Passat features like Bluetooth and auto on/off headlamps. The Wolfsburg Passat will only be available with the 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission.

Look for the 2013 Wolfsburg Edition Passat to hit dealerships in the very near future, priced from $23,495, *not including $795 for destination. Have a look below for Volkswagen's official press blast.

Russian-born tennis superstar Maria Sharapova has just inked a three-year deal with Porsche to be its brand ambassador, a position that will put her on a global campaign for the German automaker. The 26-year-old athlete isn't new to the role – she previously signed a similar three-year deal with Land Rover in 2006.

"Maria Sharapova is an exceptional athlete. She combines top performance in her sports with elegance and power. These are precisely the qualities that are embroiled in our sports cars," explained Matthias Mueller, CEO of Porsche AG, during the announcement. "Her profile and charisma are an ideal fit for Porsche. She is also highly respected around the world and enjoys an outstanding reputation," he added.

Some consider Porsche's choice of a female tennis player as its ambassador interesting, if not surprising. The automaker has traditionally marketed its vehicles with a masculine edge – Sharapova and the sport of tennis position the brand in a different light – likely an intentional decision. Do you think Porsche's choice was a good one? If not, who would you choose as its global ambassador?

The next Chevrolet Cruze isn't set to go into production for about another year, and we're just now seeing prototypes of the new compact running around here in the States. Not much more has been revealed since we saw the car blasting through the snow in Europe, but we can still clearly see new design elements like the larger grille, slimmer headlamps and redesigned taillamps.

Our spy photographers worked up a composite image of this Cruze prototype alongside the current model, and here, we can clearly see some big visual changes are in store for the new model. The 2015 Cruze's hood slopes downward more dramatically, the windshield is more heavily raked, and the roofline looks more fluid overall. The next-generation Cruze will ride on the new global Delta platform that will also underpin other General Motors vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt and Equinox.

As for what's under the hood, we expect the normal range of gasoline four-cylinder engines (both naturally aspirated and turbocharged), and the compact's new turbodiesel four should carry over, as well. Have a look at the full brace of spy photos in the gallery above.

TUM Create, a section of the Technical University of Munich, Germany, that has more than 100 technical types working on future solutions to mobility, worked with Singapore's Nanyang Technical University to come up with the Voi multipurpose electric scooter. The Voi – from the Vietnamese word for elephant – puts a rider behind an enclosed passenger cell that keeps proceedings narrow and can keep one of the occupants dry.

What's more, that front cell can be swapped for other modules like an open seat, a cargo box or a mobile kitchen. With the aim of being as convenient and affordable as a scooter and as comfortable as a car, the Voi can get up to 45 kilometers per hour (28 miles per hour) and has an 80 kilometer range (50 miles). A video explaining the project can be found below.

Revealed at the Taiwan International Electric Vehicle Show (EV Taiwan) this month, you can watch it being built and taken for a spin in the video below, and check out the press release below that.

Analysts are saying that Ford Motor Company may have earned a record $2.7 billion pretax profit in North America during the first quarter of 2013, a number that represents its highest first quarter profit ever. The impressive earnings are further proof that the American automaker is making a solid comeback as the economy begins to recover.

Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan Chase are estimating that Ford's first quarter North American profit may have topped 12 percent. The firm cited the automaker's fresh lineup, but noted that CEO Alan Mulally needs to uphold the pace as the company works to gain ground in the car and utility segments.

Ford's success has been led by increased demand for its F-Series pickup, the best-selling vehicle in the US for 31 years, and by the Fusion sedan that recently recorded its best-ever quarterly sales in the domestic market. Ford is expected to release its first-quarter revenue on Wednesday, of this week.

We've gotten our grubby little digits on the dealer order guide for the as-yet-unreleased 2014 Ford Fusion thanks to an anonymous tipster, and while there isn't much that's unexpected, there are some meaningful equipment changes to report after the rakish sedan's first year on the market.

Mechanically, the big news is, of course, the recently confirmed availability of the 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder paired with a six-speed automatic. The powertrain replaces the 1.6-liter automatic setup of 2013, though if you want a manual transmission, you'll still get the extra .1-liter of displacement.

On the equipment front, there are newly available rear inflatable seatbelts – as seen previously on the Explorer – along with a new heated steering wheel and cooled seat option on Titanium and Titanium Hybrid models (the latter two options will be late availability).

On the 2014 Fusion's color and trim palette, new paint hues include DarkSide and Sunset (replacing Bordeaux Reserve and Ginger Ale), and later in the model year, a light gray ("Soft Ceramic") interior will become available on Titanium models. Brick Red leather seating is optional for Titanium Hybrid models.

Speaking of the gas-electric variant, there will also be a new entry-level Hybrid S model joining the SE (2013 model shown) and Titanium variants – presumably it will come with a lower price tag, but we don't have MSRP information as of yet. However, we do know it will go without equipment including a power driver's seat, rear seat HVAC ducts, keyless-entry pad, satellite radio and heated side mirrors – integrated turn signals and all.

Like any form of motorsports, drag racing is a passion that never dies. Case in point, check out this woman, who is an admitted "60-some-odd years old," caught in this video taking her murdered-out Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG to the track for a little side-by-side action. As it turns out, drag racing is even a family affair, too, as her husband hits the strip in a second-gen Dodge Viper.

She says that she's been racing since she was a teenager, and she's still logging some solid times in her "not totally stock" Mercedes-Benz, which she claims is laying down around 475 horsepower from a chipped computer and cold-air induction. That's well worth of its "BADBENZ" license plate, if you ask us. The video below shows a short interview with the woman and some proof that this car is no Sunday driver. Excuse us while we hum "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena."

Well, what have we here? Truth be told, we're not entirely sure. The teaser image above comes from Renault, and its contents are about as opaque as the message with which it arrives:

"This prototype vehicle, which features muscular styling and impressive performance credentials, provides a bridge between the world of Formula One and that of electric vehicles. It's a concept car that will make a lot of noise... but, in total silence."

So, the gist is that Renault is readying an EV concept influenced by F1. Beyond that, and the picture above displaying some of the car's electric drivetrain, we don't have much to go on. Fortunately, we won't have to wait long to find out what they are up to – the unnamed concept will be revealed in two days' time, on Thursday, April 25 at the company's plant in Valladolid, Spain.

When New York City picked the Nissan NV200 as its Taxi of Tomorrow, many were surprised that the vehicle wasn't electric, or even a hybrid for that matter. With NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg on hand, Nissan celebrated Earth Day on Monday by unveiling a pilot program of electric taxis for the city consisting of six 2013 Nissan Leaf EVs, which the mayor referred to as the "taxi of the day after tomorrow."

This pilot program is aimed to show how EVs can operate as taxi cabs, and Mayor Bloomberg said that New York City hopes to have a third of its taxi fleet electrified by 2020. In addition to the six cars, Nissan has also provided three quick chargers around Manhattan, allowing the Leafs to get an 80-percent recharge in just 30 minutes.

According to David Yassky, commissioner of the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, "What we have to do now is figure out how you integrate the charging of an electric vehicle into the duty of a taxi cab."

Scroll down for a press release about the pilot program as well as a video interviewing Mayor Bloomberg, Yassky and even one of the pilot drivers.

Just a few months ago, fan safety at racetracks was a hot topic following the last-lap NASCAR Nationwide Series crash at Daytona that sent large pieces of racecars into the grandstands injuring 33 fans. Now, a freak incident at a National Hot Rod Association event resulted in a drag racer's bodywork flying into the crowd at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte over the weekend. The carbon-fiber body of Robert Hight's Ford Mustang funny car blew off toward the end of a run when his engine exploded, but fortunately, the two fans evaluated after the incident were later released without serious injury.

As you can see in the image above, the body flew high into the air before landing on a walkway in front of the grandstands, a bit of happenstance that likely gave most fans enough time and space to move out of the way. Scroll down to watch a couple of videos showing what happened, including one from a fan's perspective that also reveals what appears to be part of the body's metal bracing landing dangerously close to the crowd.

A Tasty Bit Of Old School For The New School



Against the backdrop of fervent hand-wringing from brand purists, BMW is on the cusp of finally offering front-wheel-drive vehicles. While that's a shock to the constitution, many are pointing to the company's fine-handling Mini offerings as an article of faith that it can get this drivetrain paradigm shift right. That may be true, but there's an even more important lesson that Mini has taught the decision-makers in Munich: how to make real money on small cars.

Before Mini came along, BMW – along with seemingly every other premium European automaker – never really figured out how to coax big dollars out of American wallets without developing cars that had large footprints, at least those other than sports cars. While the automaker really got rolling in America on the strength of little bantamweights like the 2002, it veered away from small cars sometime in the '80s. BMW subsequently crashed and burned with the cut-and-shut 318ti built off its E36 3 Series and, good as it is, the 1 Series hasn't given the company meaty volume or profits, either. Among other brands, the Audi A3 has never rung up big numbers, and the less said about the painful sales figures of the Volvo C30, the better. But Mini has beat the odds, blazing a more affordable and evidently compelling trail. As of late, the company's Countryman softroader has been a massive hit worldwide. No surprise then that BMW has reconsidered bringing over its smallest softroader, the X1, to the US.

The X1 originally went on sale in Europe in 2010, and after a solid launch on its home continent, the little crossover was introduced in small-car-friendly Canada for 2012, only going on sale here in the US fresh off a minor facelift for 2013. To be clear, the X1 shares no design DNA with the even-smaller Countryman. Their engineers don't even use the same washroom – whereas the Mini is based on a front-drive chassis, the X1's architecture is a variant of the aforementioned rear-wheel-drive 1 Series, itself derived from the old E90 3 Series. Exactly none of this is bad news.