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Ladders. As children, we learn how important they are: even if you don't know who Jacob was or where he was climbing, you know how to make his ladder from string. If you don't want to be cursed, you know not to walk under them; and if you want to win the game, you know you need to avoid the chutes and climb the ladders. As adults, ladders take on more practical (if metaphorical) importance: if you want to rise above your station – to win the game of life, say – you need to avoid the chutes and climb the ladders.

It was the early 1980s when German automakers began introducing their aspirational four-wheeled ladders, and there are still three sedan Leitens to choose from depending on what you want your ladder to say: there's the C, E, S, the 3, 5, 7 and the A4, A6, A8. The point of any ladder, though, has always been to climb – the only reason you stepped on the bottom rung was because you intended to get to the top, or at least as close as you could muster.

That might change with this car, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. It might be so good that there's no need to climb any higher.

Take a look at the Land Rover product lineup and you'll be forgiven for getting a little confused. What separates the Freelander/LR2 from the Evoque, or the Discovery/LR4 from the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport? Where does the Defender fit in all of this? Well, Land Rover is in the process of fixing all of that by aligning its product portfolio around three pillars.

One of them will be centered on the next-generation Discovery, which itself is set to grow into a family of its own – and here we have spy shots of one of the first new models planned.

Although it's wearing a lot of bodywork borrowed from the Evoque, our paparazzi on the ground tell us that the test mule pictured here is actually the new baby Defender that's set to replace the Freelander. Only with a twist: what we could have here is a performance version of that vehicle, judging particularly by the large air apertures in the front end and the pair of exhaust tips flanking the trailer hitch at the rear.

Of course it's a little difficult to tell at this point, what with all the lose-fitting panels and camouflage and what have you. But you're welcome to scope them out for yourself and share your thoughts in the Comments section below.

Back in August, it was announced that Fox Sports would be picking up the entirety of the United SportsCar Racing Series as part of a five-year deal. This made us very happy, not only because the combination of the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Series promised some great racing, but because with the closure of Speed TV, there was genuine concern that we'd lose a big source of televised racing that didn't involve oval tracks.

Now, with the inaugural season of the USR underway (you didn't miss our Daytona coverage, did you?), Fox Sports and IMSA have announced this season's TV schedule of races. We'll admit, it wasn't what we were hoping for - complete, unfettered (and totally unrealistic) start-to-finish live coverage - but it is better than nothing.

All 12 remaining races will be aired on Fox Sports 1 in some capacity. Nine of those will be shown live, while three races - Belle Isle in Detroit, Indianapolis and Road America - will be on a same-day delay. So far, only Petit Le Mans, the Circuit of the Americas and the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen are confirmed to be shown entirely on TV. Most other races are getting two to three hours on FS1, before be shuffled over to the IMSA website or Fox Sports Go mobile app.

Now, it's possible more races could be aired in their entirety, but since the USR hasn't announced how long many of the races will be, it's impossible to know for certain. For example, the race at Long beach is traditionally a two-hour sprint, which based on the TV lineup allows it to be aired from start to finish. But since the USR still hasn't published an official race duration for most of its events, there's no way to be 100 percent certain of how long each race will be aired.

Take a look below for the entire broadcast schedule, and then let us know what you think in Comments.

It used to be that if you wanted a luxury SUV, there was only one name that you needed to know, and that was Range Rover. These days, of course, the market is flush with luxed-out sport-utes and crossovers, but don't think that Land Rover is about to take it all lying down. No, Jaguar Land Rover is fully intent on making the most luxurious SUVs on the market.

Over the past several years, the Range Rover sub-brand has gone from one model to three, and the top of the line is the Range Rover L Autobiography Black pictured above. With a stretched wheelbase and first-class cabin space, the kind-of-the-hill will set you back a princely $185,000. But Land Rover reportedly has more in store.

According to LR designer Gerry McGovern in speaking to our subcontinental compatriots at Indian Autos Blog, Land Rover is planning on marketing individual customization to its most wealthy clients. The Land Rover Individual Products Division is poised to follow the lead set by that other British luxury automaker represented by the initials RR in allowing those with the means to customize every aspect of their vehicle.

The overwhelming majority of Rolls-Royce buyers reportedly opt for some level of personalization, and Land Rover seems intent on cashing in on that market as well. Whether sister-brand Jaguar follows suit will likely depend on how its off-road compatriot fares in this department.

Audi is planning quite a shindig for the launch of the A3 sedan, and it only wants young folks to show up. The Four Rings' new entry-level model will begin hitting showrooms later this month, and it is planning a launch party on April 3 at all of its roughly 280 dealers aimed at youthful, influential buyers – hipsters, for lack of a better word.

According to Automotive News, the company has sent a 64-page party-planning guide to its dealers on how to appeal these tastemakers in their late-20s to early-40s. The guide says the audience "should reflect an uncompromising spirit in a generation that refuses to settle or sell out." Audi never specifically uses the h-word in its marketing, which is good because it carries some negative connotations. However, recommendations like serving craft beer and bacon doughnuts and playing indie bands like Chvrches, Empire of the Sun and M83 certainly show that the automaker would love to gain some hipster-cred.

It may seem odd for a free spirits to desire a new Audi, but the carmaker might be playing the long con with these parties. Maybe they can't afford an A3 yet, but the $30,000 compact is likely close enough within their financial reach to at least be realistic. If the brand can appeal to them early, then they could be more likely to come back later when it's affordable.

All three German luxury brands are facing an aging sales base. According to Automotive News, the average age for an A4 buyer is 48, 55 for the BMW 3 Series and 58 for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, but Mercedes' new entry-level CLA has shown the future with its average buyer being 46 years old. If Audi can appeal to even younger buyers with the A3, then it is doing its job.

Nobody could argue at this point that Mini (like its parent company BMW) has not mastered the art (if you could call it that) of filling every niche with its own model. But with the third generation of Mini now upon us, some of the company's strategists are asking themselves what the point is of it all.

The outgoing second-generation Mini spawned too many variants to count. So far the new model has only surfaced in hatchback form, but the brand may roll out quite as many variants this time around. Instead it is looking at its lineup in terms of pillars.

The quintessential hatchback we've already seen would be one pillar. The Countryman crossover would be another. And the production version of the new Clubman concept which Mini displayed in Geneva would be a third. A convertible based (like the existing one and the one that came before it) on the hardtop hatchback is likely to follow, but don't expect too many other versions.

That would mean that many of the brand's quirkier two-door models could face the axe – or rather simply not be replaced by new versions. That would likely include the Coupe, the Roadster and the Paceman crossover. While some of us are more partial to the roadster than the cabriolet, and despite them all being relatively good to steer, we have to say that we'd hardly miss any of them.

There are plenty of commonalities to be found between astronauts and racing drivers. Both are daredevils by definition (if not by trade), both subject themselves to unfathomable G forces and both face very real risks when strapped into machinery that makes the very best use of advanced propulsion, aerodynamics and composite construction technologies. Yet you don't find much crossover between the two. There was talk of Niki Lauda, himself an experienced pilot, training to go into space with Virgin Galactic (which itself was sister to an F1 team for a while in Richard Branson's empire), but that didn't seem to materialize. Now we're receiving news that Felix Baumgartner will contest the Nürburgring 24 Hours this year.

Felix Whomgartner, you ask? Felix Baumgartner. He's more of a skydiver than an astronaut, but he made history in 2012 when he jumped out of a space capsule and set the record for the highest altitude in a manned balloon, the parachute jump from the highest altitude, and the highest velocity freefall as part of the Red Bull Stratos initiative. In other words, he may as well be an astronaut, because he fell down to the earth's surface from the stratosphere.

For his next challenge, Baumgartner will be climbing into an Audi R8 LMS Ultra in an attempt to tackle the Nürburgring. Having contested a handful of spec races under the VW Group umbrella, he'll undertake several test sessions and practice races before the main event in June, in which he'll alternate behind the wheel with professional racing drivers Frank Biela, Marco Werner and Pierre Kaffer. The initiative is part of the Audi race experience program that allows gentleman racers to team up with seasoned pros to take part in real races. Baumgartner will undoubtedly prove its highest-profile participant.

Tesla has a special history with the state of New Jersey, having delivered the 500th Roadster there in 2009. Fast forward to 2014, though, and the electric vehicle company is having a decidedly less-positive experience in the Garden State. In short, Tesla's ongoing dealer fight has turned sour, and thing are potentially going from bad to worse today.

Tesla says it has been working "constructively" with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) and Governor Chris Christie's administration "to defend against the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers' (NJ CAR) attacks on Tesla's business model and the rights of New Jersey consumers." In other words, the right for Tesla to open its own stores and not use the traditional dealer model. The legislative process on the fate of Proposal PRN 2013-138 (PDF) has been continuing and Tesla says it thought everyone was acting in good faith, but now it's not so sure. In a new official blog post, Tesla says:

Unfortunately, Monday we received news that Governor Christie's administration has gone back on its word to delay a proposed anti-Tesla regulation so that the matter could be handled through a fair process in the Legislature. The Administration has decided to go outside the legislative process by expediting a rule proposal that would completely change the law in New Jersey. This new rule, if adopted, would curtail Tesla's sales operations and jeopardize our existing retail licenses in the state. ... This is an affront to the very concept of a free market.

A meeting on the proposal is scheduled to take place this afternoon, and Tesla is not happy about it. In Ohio last year, Tesla asked for immediate help to stop a similar bill, which ended up working. For a while.

Last year, New Jersey started considering an EV-only tax that would cost EV drivers about $100 a year, but that appears to have been scrapped.

Jay Leno may not be spending his night behind the Tonight Show desk anymore, but he's clearly not done rolling precious metal into his garage, intent on putting it through its paces after a thorough investigation. The latest machine to meet Jay on his home turf is the Nissan IDx Nismo Concept that we first saw at the Tokyo Motor Show late last year.

Leno already has love for the classic Datsun 510, which plays a cameo in the video that you'll see below, and he refers to the IDx as the spiritual successor to that car's ethos – driving fun in an affordable package. Fortunately for us, while the IDx is a showcar first and foremost, it is indeed driveable, and Leno, naturally, takes his turn behind the wheel.

Scroll down to watch the complete video below.

While Porsche's designers can jokingly be accused of being some of the laziest in the industry due to the incremental changes to the 911's iconic design, no such charge can be leveled against the engineers and product planning folks. That's because it seems like each week arrives with news of a new variation of the marque's iconic rear-engined sports car. So, for this week, we've brought you images of what we think is the new 911 GTS Cabriolet, undergoing testing in a thawing winter wonderland.

Now, what is it that gives this 911 away, compared to standard convertible? Well, the big thing is the new offset, center-mounted exhausts. Borrowing a page from the last Volkswagen R32, these exhaust tips are unlike anything we've seen from Porsche. Only the GT3 wears center pipes, and unlike these spy photos, the twin pipes on the track-minded 911 are stacked neatly alongside each other. The other change spotted by our spies is the set of active-aerodynamic flaps in the front bumper, which can automatically channel air toward the brakes for increased cooling, or close off to reduce drag, as needed.

Those exhausts are a pretty big design detail, and so far as we can tell is the only differentiator between the other 911s in this car's posse. Our spies speculate that this could be a 911 Speedster, but point out that both the canvas roof and windshield remain unchanged - the rumored Speedster model would almost certainly feature a different roof assembly along with a steeply raked windshield.

Further confusing things in this case are the presence of 911 Turbo-style fender vents. They can't clearly be made out on the 911 above, but are quite easy to spot on the 911s in the background. Couple that with the two pairs of slats in the rear fascia, which are present on these cars as well as in previous spy shots, and it becomes very, very difficult to figure out what Porsche is up to. GTS, perhaps?

Whatever this car is, we'll be keeping an eye out for more information on it. Until then, what do you think Porsche has planned? Let us know in Comments.

Any hypermiler will tell you that the way you drive your car has a huge impact on how much energy it uses. But these greenfoot drivers haven't had a car that's smart enough to tell them about the inner lives of traffic lights. That's what a prototype system in an Audi A6 Saloon that the German automaker recently tested in Las Vegas can do. Since the car can communicate with local traffic signals and is able to predict when lights will change, the car can help reduce CO2 emissions by up to 15 percent. Further, Audi says that the system could save some 238 million gallons of fuel (900 million liters), if deployed across Germany. We can only imagine what hypermilers could do with this.

We got to drive the Audi Online traffic light information system prototype in January, but we focused more on how the system worked rather than the green aspect. Now that Audi has had a bit more time to crunch the numbers, it has released fuel economy information for the connected car. The key points for the eco-side of things are that the driver is told in the dashboard how fast/slow to go to hit the next green light. This can help prevent unnecessary speeding and or encourage drivers to go a bit faster in order to hit the green, thus preventing idling and wasted time.

The system is too smart to let you idle for long.

Except that Audi Online is too smart to let you idle for long. The Audi connect system can calculate how much longer the light will be red and can access the car's start-stop capabilities and will fire up the engine "five seconds before the green phase." That seems like an awful long time in a world where competitors have figured out ways to restart an engine in 0.35 seconds. We've asked Audi for an explanation on why this buffer is so lengthy, and will let you know what the reasoning is when we hear back.

Despite the trials in the A6, Audi says the Audi Online traffic system could be integrated into any Audi model, "subject to the necessary government legislation." Aside from the Sin City tests, Audi is running trials of the connected car in Verona, Italy and Berlin, Germany. If you'd like to test it out yourself some day, take heart from this line in the press release, available below: "A market launch is currently the subject of intense analysis in the United States."

*UPDATE: Audi's Mark Dahncke told AutoblogGreen that the five second window is meant, "To alert the driver that the light is about to turn green. In other words, get ready to drive."

Just days after we caught the first glimpse of the next-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG doing cold weather testing, here are some fresh images of its high-performance wagon sibling getting a workout. It has been a while since we've spotted Mercedes testing the C-Class T, but it's clear Affalterbach's version is getting an extra dose of aggressiveness.

Power for the next C63 AMG is expected to come from the same 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 with between 450 and 500 horsepower rumored for the sedan. This version is carrying more camouflaging cladding than the four door we saw, but they share a few styling elements, including the larger front air dam, quad exhausts at the rear and lower ride height. It also looks like the wagon has a rear spoiler on the roof.

The same questions hover around the T as the AMG sedan. It isn't known whether the C63 name will carry over to the new model or if the smaller engine will trigger a moniker change. The sedan version doesn't have an official debut date yet, but it's expected by early 2015. The new wagon is an even bigger mystery because the standard version isn't even on sale in Europe yet. Whether it makes it to these shores is also an open question.

You try to do a good thing, but someone always has to come around and say there's a down side. In this case, the good thing is AB 32, also known as California's greenhouse gas emission reduction law, and the potential down side is one that could generate a lot of bad publicity.

First, some background. The idea behind the law was to reverse the climbing trend of emissions in the state, shrinking them down to 1990 levels by 2020. That means, in the end, a "15 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the 'business-as-usual' scenario in 2020 if we did nothing at all," according to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which is the force behind the law. AB 32 was passed in 2006 and was signed by then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The emission cap for 2013 was set at a level about two percent lower than the emissions that were expected (in 2006) to be in 2012, and AB 32 gets stricter from here. It drops another two percent (roughly) in 2014 and then about three percent every year from 2015 to 2020.

CARB chair Mary Nichols said she doesn't believe the oil companies.

Since there is a cap on overall emissions, the affected industries can trade emissions credits as one way to comply. Or they can conduct cleaner operations. In 2013, the law took effect for electric utilities and large industrial facilities (which have already racked up $1.5 billion in pollution permit fees), and it will kick in next year for "distributors of transportation, natural gas and other fuels." As 2015 approaches, the oil industry is warning that the increased hassle of AB 32 will add at least 12 cents to the cost of a gallon of gas in California. State regulators claim the increase could be anywhere from negligible to over 10 cents a gallon, the AP says. The current average price in the state today is about $3.90. CARB chair Mary Nichols told the AP that she doesn't believe the oil companies when they warn the public about higher gas prices. "It would appear to be some deliberate measure on their part if there were to be a sudden rise in [fuel] prices on January 1," she said.

Dave Clegern, CARB's public information officer, says that the reported cost increases are unlikely. "So far," he told AutoblogGreen, "the costs of compliance with AB 32 programs has held to the basic economic model which indicates a possible impact on fuel prices of three-to-five percent over an eight year period. This is less than the rate of inflation."

An overview of AB 32's cap-and-trade provision is available here in PDF and a general state government page on the law is here. You can read more about a proposed alternative (a flat carbon tax) for the gas producers here. Clegern also dismissed the flat tax proposal because, "ARB's mandate under AB 32 is to design programs which reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions cap in the cap-and-trade program ensures verifiable emission reductions each year. The carbon tax discussed in the [AP] article cannot ensure any emissions reduction."

With the introduction of the F-Type coupe and convertible, Jaguar has cleared room in its sports car lineup to drop the XK for new models. "There will be a 2015 model year XK, but the rumors are true, production for the XK will end later this year after eight years," said Wayne York Kung, Jaguar USA National Product Communications Manager, in an email to Autoblog. A replacement for the GT might be a very long way off.

The automaker told Auto Express that it's part of a "wider strategic vision and product planning cycle." Ending assembly will allow the feline luxury brand to build better-selling vehicles like the XE, its upcoming BMW 3 Series fighter. The new sedan is scheduled to go on sale in Europe in 2015 and in the US in 2016. It also needs to make room for the C-X17 crossover to be built, which is likely expected to sell better than a 2+2 GT car.

"There are no immediate plans to replace the XK," said Kung in his email. Jag was rumored to be considering moving a future generation of it upmarket. The new model would have been a bigger, softer grand tourer and allow the F-Type to be the brand's more hardcore sports car.