Automakers are flooding the Detroit auto show with new hybrid and plug-in models, but the combination of gas prices below $4 a gallon and higher upfront costs for the cars is not attracting consumers.

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Wanted or Not: Alternative-Fuel Cars Flood Auto Show

A young girl dies and a woman is seriously hurt in a crash involving a lorry and four cars on the M6 near Birmingham.

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Girl, four, killed in M6 pile-up

In a country where mass graves are not uncommon, the police say a gang killed the 40 drivers during the last two years and stole their cars.

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Bodies of 40 Cabdrivers Found in Mass Grave in Iraqi Town

A £4m project aims to encourage thousands of drivers in south Wales to stop using their cars for journeys such as the school run and short commutes.

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School run car congestion tackled

On Saturday night, theatergoers were escorted from their cars to the Kennedy Center under the umbrella of Michael Amerson, a doorman whose high spirits seemed impervious to the weather. “I love this,” he said as the rain started to pick up. The final performance of “Uncle Vanya,” the Sydney Theatre Company’s critically acclaimed production of Chekhov’s grim classic, took place at 7:30. Though the threat of Hurricane Irene loomed all day, the performance went on as scheduled before some very damp patrons, some from far away. Read full article > >

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Hurricane Irene doesn’t deter audience from ‘Uncle Vanya’ at Kennedy Center

PITTSBURGH — Flash floods submerged more than a dozen vehicles in Pittsburgh, killing three people, leaving another missing and presumed dead, and forcing others to swim to safety or scramble onto the roofs of their cars. The flooding occurred after a pair of storms pounded the city on Friday, overwhelming the drainage system and causing manhole covers to pop off the road, officials said. Water rose up to 9 feet in some places along Washington Boulevard, a main road that parallels the Allegheny River in the city’s Highland Park section. Read full article > >

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3 dead, 1 missing in Pittsburgh flash flooding as water submerges cars along riverside road

BIR AYAD, Libya — The long columns of cars arrived at the rebel-controlled checkpoint here, 60 miles from the Libyan capital Tripoli, with children flashing victory signs and fathers happily honking the horns of their cars. The families, hundreds of them, had slipped out of the capital in the early morning of Friday, using back alleys and country roads in order to avoid checkpoints controlled by forces loyal to Moammar Gaddafi, the country’s embattled leader. They are part of a growing exodus from the Libyan capital, which follows significant advances by the ragtag rebel army toward the capital. Their victories have led many to expect Gaddafi’s era to be finished in in the coming days or weeks, but many inhabitants of Tripoli say they can’t wait that long. Read full article > >

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Libyan refugees say Tripoli will fall soon

The world’s 16 most famous art cars come together in one exhibit Honoring the 35th anniversary of the project, an exhibit at the BMW Museum in Munich brings together the complete set of 17 BMW Art Cars (with the exception of Olafur Eliasson’s ice sculpture) for the first time. Seeing them in one place makes for a study of the car as canvas, highlighting both similarities in the artist’s approaches (the majority are splashed with bright colors) as well as each distinct style. While assembling all the cars is an impressive single-subject show, and many of the big names—Calder, Hockney, Lichtenstein—are familiar, there’s plenty of opportunity for discovery with some of the lesser-known works, like the shimmering surface of Matazo Kayama’s 1990 535i that welcomes visitors to the exhibit. On a recent visit there as a guest of BMW, I also picked up a few insights that speak to the rich history of the brand initiative. As a whole, the show speaks to the savvy pairing of culture and sport, supporting the automaker’s values of performance and the joy of driving as they introduce fine art to race car driving. A classic Warhol story, that he took all of 23 minutes to paint his 1979 M1 because he said the design of the car is so great, underlines his accompanying statement that he “tried to portray a sense of speed. When a car is going really fast all the lines and colours become a blur.” The short film on the making of this car and its race is worth checking out on the BMW Art Car microsite . Similarly, Kayama said of his car (pictured above), “it was the attractive basic shape of the car which made my work at all possible in the first place.” The show runs through 30 September 2011 at the BMW Museum in Munich. See more art cars—from Rauschenberg to Stella to Holzer and more—in the gallery below . Take our reader survey and enter to win a CH Edition Jambox!

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Welcome Home BMW Art Cars

Volkswagen offers the first-ever supercharged hybrid SUV in a luxurious limited edition Taking advantage of a sunny day in New York City, we recently put Volkswagen’s new 2011 Supercharged Hybrid Touareg to the test on a trip to Brooklyn for some of the best pizza in town. VW describes this limited edition Touareg as “a rare beast” that can be likened to the white buffalo—strong, silent, and few in numbers. With panoramic glass consuming almost the entire roof we got full views of skyscrapers, bridges and beautiful open sky. When combined with the rest of the luxurious interior, riding around in this “beast” is definitely like no other journey. Its highly responsive navigation system—one of our favorites—features a large full-color touchscreen that allows the driver to choose between 2D or 3D navigation. Once you’ve programmed where to go, the jamming sound system and iPod-friendly stereo let passengers sit back and enjoy the smooth ride. While admittedly lower in mpg when compared to a compact car, the Supercharged Hybrid offers 20-24 mpg, similar to that of the TDi model. Its start-stop system saves gas when idle, and regenerative breaks recoup kinetic energy that help charge the battery. While not boasting as much torque as its diesel counterpart, the tuned suspension makes for a fun, sporty ride, and its powerful engine really helps when you’ve got a car full of gear. We’re proud that Volkswagon chose to sponsor our Cool Hunting iPad app ( iTunes link ) as a way to launch this new car. Download the free app and check out some exclusive Rare Beast content. Packed with every imaginable amenity, the Supercharged Hybrid Touareg is ideal for family vacations and urban escapes alike. To get your hands on one, contact a VW dealer near you.

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Touareg Rare Beast

Does Obama realize electric cars are an unwanted burden?

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Cold truths about electric cars’ cold-weather shortcomings

Rock vinyl anywhere with this player in the shape of mini VW bus Officially licensed by Volkswagen, the clever little Soundwagon record player has finally been released worldwide, and we had the chance to see it ourselves at the recent CES . Originally only available in Japan this mini, hyper-portable record player is sure to grab some attention. Modeled after VW’s classic bus, the record player delivers ’70s nostalgia right to your living room, or anywhere that needs highly-detailed, cute grooviness. With a built-in needle powered by a nine volt battery, all you need to do is drop the wagon on a record and let it ride. The producer, STOKYO , promises the new model’s enhanced built-in speaker will deliver higher quality sound than in previous or knock-off versions. Check out the wagon in action in the video below. The Soundwagon currently comes in cherry red, royal blue, black or white for the global market, runs

Smart cars premiered at the Consumer Electronics Show, providing a glimpse into what the cars of the future might look like.

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Is this a car of the future?

Three weeks after returning to the United States from my latest tour of duty in Afghanistan, I arrived in Cambridge, Mass., to begin the midcareer master in public administration program at the Harvard Kennedy School . As the program began, I was introduced to my extraordinary classmates, representing more than 50 nations, who in many cases have traveled the globe tackling significant issues as diverse as environmental sustainment, health care, and international development. MORE FROM NATIONAL JOURNAL: National Journal’s Oral History Of Iraq & Afghanistan In Treating Trauma, Military Branches Out Army Struggles Toward Goal Of Wi-Fi Infantry For all of their fantastic experiences, however, very few have interacted with soldiers. Some classmates are from countries where the armed forces lack credibility, and some have perhaps been influenced by negative press reporting. As a veteran, I feel a sense of responsibility not only to make the most of the tremendous educational opportunity that I’ve been given but also to be an international ambassador for those serving in uniform. The question I get most often is, “What is it like?” Yet I’m never quite sure exactly what I’m being asked or how to respond. In conversations at school, there is often an uncomfortable silence when I reveal that I’ve just returned from “the war.” Many Kennedy School classmates and Cambridge residents have never even met a soldier, much less one involved in the fighting. The truth is, however, we are just like you. I, along with more than 80 other former or current veterans at the Kennedy School, share pasts similar to yours. We attended college. We played soccer and explored the outdoors. We have mothers who insist on making our favorite food, and fathers who enjoy giving us their advice. We love our wives and play Frisbee with our children. We have dreams and aspirations. As veterans, we represent the full diversity of not only the American people but also the international community. We are Democrats and Republicans, Muslims and Christians, Hispanics and African-Americans. We went to Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries to serve our nation when she called. We are you. Soldiers are not politicians. We did not choose this war; it was given to us. We weren’t asked our opinions, but we left our families–many of us multiple times–to fly halfway around the world to try to make a difference and support fledgling democracies. Many of us have buried friends or lost young men and women who were under our command. Most of us came home seemingly whole, but we all were forever changed. Some of the scars of old wounds are visible but others go deeper. Sitting at an outdoor café recently with a woman I’d just met, my back was to the road (mistake No. 1). I was relaxed and enjoying a mouth-watering steak when suddenly I heard an explosion directly behind me. My body, having survived five previous IED [improvised explosive device] attacks, involuntarily jerked toward the ground. Within a fraction of a second, I realized that I was in Cambridge and not Kabul. The explosion? It was only a car that had hit a noisy metal plate in the road. As I sheepishly looked at the concerned face of my new friend, she graciously offered to switch seats with me, so “you can see the cars as they approach.” She understood. Harvard purposefully creates an environment that allows us to open our minds and dissolve existing barriers. The faculty has accomplished the extraordinary task of eliminating discrimination, including gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, which continue to divide other parts of our society. Slowly, the invisible divide between those who have served in the armed forces and those who have not is also disappearing. It is up to us, the student body, to bridge this final gap. When you meet veterans, or as Harvard President Drew Faust fondly calls us, “soldier-scholars,” on campus, put your preconceptions aside. Look for similarities instead of differences. Connect with us. Ask about our backgrounds. Listen. Leverage our experience and probe deeply to understand. Embrace us as part of your community. Unless you take the time to get to know us, you’ll miss what a national treasure we are. We are just like you. This essay first appeared in the Harvard Gazette .

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From Afghanistan to Harvard

A state of emergency was declared and the armed forces were summoned after a heavy storm left motorists stranded in their cars on a major Ontario highway for a second day.

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Storm Strands Hundreds of Motorists in Canada

Our behind-the-scenes look at the making of Aston Martin’s upcoming short films Like many brands, where car manufacturers once relied on lifelong customers, changing market factors (globalization as a whole, the Internet, etc.) has empowered buyers to venture beyond local car lots to find an automobile that truly speaks to their needs and desires. While Aston Martin ‘s reputation for luxurious motoring may be enough, at nearly a century old, the manufacturer hopes to engage a new generation of drivers with its series of interactive films centered around their new Rapide . (See the full story on the four-door sports car on CH here .) To check out how Aston Martin’s Marketing Director Markus Kramer and his staff are creating something beyond a clich