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She's known as the person who restored order at GM.

As General Motors fought to find its footing following bankruptcy, Mary Barra was tasked with managing the guts of its revival. Now she's known as the person who restored order at GM. In less than three years in her role as global product development chief, Barra moved at a dizzying pace and helped to return both confidence and profit to the once-beleaguered automaker. On Tuesday, she was rewarded for her efforts. Barra, 51, was named CEO of General Motors. She is the first woman to lead a US car company.

"Mary went into an organization that, frankly, four years ago was in chaos," said outgoing CEO Dan Akerson, who announced his retirement at the same time. "She was central to the whole evolution." Against the improbable backdrop of GM's federal bailout, Barra spearheaded the revitalization of the company's lineup of cars, implemented widespread supply-chain changes and oversaw the creation of engine and vehicle strategies that, by decade's end, will result in 90 percent of the company's cars being produced on five or fewer platforms.

Akerson called the global product development role, "the most complicated," in the company. If there was anyone suited for such a role, it was Barra. For more than three decades, she has been a jack-of-all-trades at GM, rising through a series of manufacturing, engineering and human resource positions. She started her career at GM as an intern in 1980, and has worked on factory floors, once as manager at the company's Hamtramck Assembly Plant in Detroit, and she also served as executive director of the company's engineering operations.

I don't remember the exact phrasing, but my first encounter with the loading screen of Ghost Games' Need For Speed Rivals told me all I really needed to know about the latest title in the venerable series. The gist of that loading screen tip? "Drifting refills nitrous." A thinking man's racing game this would not be.

And frankly, that's okay. In a world where the video game racing genre is dominated by Forza Motorsports and Gran Turismo, Rivals is a breath of fresh air. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and while this is both to its gain and detriment, it's this characteristic that I was reminded of each time I began to get angry over a gameplay fault. It was also this frustration that ended up ruining what, at first, looked like a solid title.

As the Need For Speed series seems to be constantly evolving with new set pieces and perspectives in each title, it's important to point out what Rivals is - namely, it feels like a spiritual successor to Need For Speed 3: Hot Pursuit, allowing gamers to take on the role of either a police officer or a street racer. That's really all you need to know, as the few, limited elements of Rivals' story have all the depth and gravitas of Steven Seagal doing Hamlet.

If you're a racer, you just want your freedom, which consists of driving a supercar like a clown. If you're a cop, you want to make the average citizen feel safe, which is done by attempting to wreck other drivers. There's no real extrapolation of these two ideas throughout the title, so it's best just to forget about them completely and focus on the game itself.

Porsche hasn't offered a four-cylinder engine since the 968 went out of production in 1995 – the better part of two decades ago. There'd been talk of a four-pot Boxster or an even smaller model to slot in below it, but while the latest intel indicates that Porsche is moving ahead with its four-cylinder plans, it's a different kind of vehicle that will get it first.

That, of course, would be the new Macan. Just revealed a few weeks ago at the LA Auto Show, the Macan crossover is being launched with a pair of twin-turbocharged V6 engines (a 3.0 with 340 horsepower and a 3.6 with 400 hp) and a six-cylinder turbodiesel with 258 hp. But smaller engines, according to emerging reports from Autocar and Auto Express, are on their way.

Word has it that Porsche is preparing a 2.0-liter turbo four with 280 horsepower and a diesel with the same displacement and cylinder count, engines that will power new entry-level Macan models that will slot in beneath the existing Macan S, Macan S Diesel and Macan Turbo. While the diesel is tipped to be ported over from the Volkswagen parts bin, the four-cylinder gasoline engine is said to be under development by Porsche itself, which could mean it will have a boxer layout.

Whether either of these four-cylinder engines will make the transatlantic voyage Stateside remains to be seen, but we'd be a bit surprised if the gas four doesn't appear. However, given that the Macan S Diesel doesn't appear to be heading our way with any great speed, we wouldn't count on the base Macan Diesel arriving any time soon.

Whether it's lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring or automatic emergency braking, most of the electronic systems we see emerging on new vehicles focus on safety. But there are some there just for enthusiasts. We're talking about systems like automatic throttle blipping for perfect downshifts, or launch control to get that textbook acceleration from a standstill. But the latest system could prove just the opposite of the latter.

Although it has given us most of the details, Ford is still keeping certain elements of its new Mustang secret. But emerging reports may have the skinny on one system which Ford is trying is darnedest to keep under its hat for the time being. That, according to unnamed sources cited by Motor Authority, is burnout control.

The system is reportedly designed to help novices execute the perfect smokey burnout – sort of like launch control, but specifically the opposite. The system could, according to elaborative speculation, lock the front brakes while spooling up the engine to optimal revolutions before dumping (or indicating the driver to do dump) the clutch. A cloud of tire smoke and a long pair of skid marks would then ensue.

Like the aforementioned rev-matching and launch-control systems, you'd probably have to specifically enable it, thereby leaving pros with the ability to execute their own burnouts. Of course this could all prove to be nothing and go up in a cloud of smoke, but one way or another we should find out soon enough.

There probably aren't many things that can ruin the experience of driving a McLaren MP4-12C, but as it turns out, the humid air of America's Southeastern states is one of those things. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a recall for 374 examples of the 2012-2014 model year MP4-12C due to a faulty wiper that could fail in muggy climates.

Moisture in the Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas air can cause the brushes in the windshield wiper motor to lock up, which would prevent the wiper from working. Needless to say, driving any car without windshield wipers – especially such a fast one during the rainy season of Florida – isn't an ideal situation. McLaren is inspecting the cars and replacing affected motors, and it is extending a lifetime warranty on the wiper motors of all MP4-12Cs not immediately affected. Scroll down for the official NHTSA recall notice.

The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) has been studying the effects of the General Motors and Chrysler bailouts in 2009. Now that the US Treasury has officially sold off the rest of its stake in GM (and Chrysler has already paid back its loan), CAR has released its study on the effects of the bailout with this concluding note: "CAR is confident that in the years ahead, this peacetime intervention in the private sector by the US government will be seen as one of the most successful in US economic history."

Big words, for sure, but there's plenty of evidence to back up the claim. Bailing out GM alone saved 1.2-million jobs. If both GM and Chrysler hadn't been bailed out, US employment would have been reduced by 2.631-million jobs in 2009 and another 1.519-million jobs in 2010, according to the study. If both automakers were allowed to fail, personal income in the US would have decreased by $173.5 billion in 2009 and $110.9 billion in 2010. Instead, the study found that $284.4 billion of personal income was saved by the bailouts.

The Federal government's budget would have been affected due to higher transfer payments, lower social security receipts and lower personal income taxes paid, according to the study, which would have cost the Fed $64.7 billion in 2009 and $40.6 billion in 2010. That's much more money than what the government spent on GM's bailout ($49.5 billion) and Chrysler's bailout ($12.5 billion). It's also much less than the the US Treasury's loss of about $10 billion on GM's bailout. The US Treasury lost $1.9 billion on Chrysler's bailout.

If the numbers seem high, it's because the auto industry is linked at many levels, and the survival of parts suppliers (and their employees' jobs) largely is dependent on the survival of US automakers. For example, the study found that 51 percent of GM's parts suppliers also sell parts to Ford, 56 percent to Chrysler, 58 percent to Asian automakers and 37 percent to European automakers. A failure of virtually any major US automaker would have severe consequences in the global automotive industry.

Friday was the night of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series annual Champion's Awards banquet, and the host, comedian Jay Mohr, cracked off some jokes about Danica Patrick that visibly rubbed her (and her fellow NASCAR-driver boyfriend, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.) the wrong way.

We're not going to judge Mohr's jokes, but we will say that most of them referenced her disappointing past Sprint Cup season, though a couple of them arguably toed the line between gender-based and gender-neutral. Watch the compendium video below, then tell us what you think: did Mohr cross the line?

"Do not pass the factory driver in the 911 Turbo S."

Fifteen minutes later, I'm skeptically pondering that admonishment as I strap into the carbon-fiber tub of the Porsche 918 Spyder, the German automaker's latest supercar. With even a cursory glance, the two-seat, gasoline-electric hybrid, with a total output of nearly 900 horsepower, looks to be a masterpiece of engineering that qualifies it as not only the most sophisticated machine Porsche has ever built, but also its quickest and fastest road car of all time.

But that doesn't change the fact that I'm an amateur driving an all-new car on an unfamiliar European racing circuit. I silently chuckle at the request to avoid passing accomplished racer Timo Kluck in the company's flagship 911 sports car – all things considered, the warning seems a bit absurd.

Yet after just four laps, as I shatter 156 miles per hour down the front straight, I find myself running up his Turbo's tailpipes.

It's been well over a year since Hyundai revealed its initial prototype for the i20 WRC at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. Now it's revealed the final version (pictured above, complete with Shell Helix livery) and it's also announced the full team that will field it next year in the World Rally Championship, including Thierry Neuville and additional drivers Juho Hänninen, Dani Sordo and Chris Atkinson. That's plenty exciting for rally fans, but the news that caught our attention was buried deeper in the press release.

That is the announcement of Hyundai's new N performance sub-brand. Named after the company's R&D facility in Namyang, South Korean, the N brand "will be used to symbolize Hyundai's high performance technology," not just on the rally car but also "future mass-produced high performance cars" for the road. The WRC car wears the logo that we'd expect to represent that new cadre of performance Hyundais.

Having hinted at the emergence of a European performance sub-brand a couple of months ago, the Korean automaker hasn't revealed any further details on which those road cars might be, but promises to transfer lessons it learns from the rally stage to the marketplace. We're looking forward to finding out more, but a roadgoing i20 hot hatch would be a good first bet. Here's hoping the North American product lineup won't be left out.

Many Toyota vehicles haven't been performing well in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) small overlap frontal crash test, and the Camry is one of them. The 2012 and 2013 Camry both received "Poor" ratings, IIHS' lowest rating, in the test, which spurred Consumer Reports to take the car off its "Recommended" list. In response to the low ratings in the small overlap frontal test, and in a bid to maintain its best-seller status, Toyota will make changes to the Camry to improve its IIHS safety rating and to enhance its design, The Detroit News reports.

The Camry performed well in the moderate overlap frontal, side, roof strength and head restraints and seats crash tests, receiving "Good" ratings, IIHS' highest rating, in all four tests. That was enough for IIHS to award it a Top Safety Pick rating, just not TSP+.

Bill Fay, head of Toyota's US division, reportedly says, "It's still a five-star car. It still does very well in all the IIHS tests. It did not in [the small overlap frontal crash test], and we're busy making the necessary adjustments so that we can address that."

Most Toyota models haven't been put through the small overlap frontal test, but those that have haven't received better than a "Marginal" rating, IIHS' third-best rating. The Corolla received a "Marginal" rating, while the midsize Prius V, along with the Camry, earned "Poor" ratings. The RAV4 compact crossover also earned a "Poor" rating in the test.

We may still be several months off from the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, but it's apparently not too early for Hyundai to give us a glimpse at what to expect when the Palexpo's doors open in March.

Called Intrado, Hyundai's new concept car takes the form of a high-riding crossover with styling that takes its cues from the Korean automaker's Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language. Designed and engineered in Germany, the concept bears the codename HED-9, a giveaway that it's the ninth concept from Hyundai Europe Design. Inspiration is said to have been drawn from aircraft, with a lightweight form and a name borrowed from the underside of an airplane's wing.

Hyundai isn't saying much more, revealing only the teaser rendering above. But it has indicated that the Intrado concept packs a new hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain that's both smaller and lighter than the one powering the existing ix35 Fuel Cell, which (last we heard) Hyundai was hoping to bring Stateside as part of its Tuscon lineup by 2014 with a $499/month lease.

It used to be that manual transmissions almost invariably had more speeds than their automatic counterparts. A car with a five-speed stick might have a four-speed or even three-speed slushbox, while another might offer the choice between a six-speed manual and a five-speed automatic. But that's quickly changing. These days we're seeing automatic transmissions emerge with seven, eight or even nine forward gears, and there's really a limit to how many gears you can expect a driver to shift on their own.

One notable exception (or throwback, depending on your perspective) is the 2014 Corvette Stingray, which comes with a seven-speed manual or six-speed automatic. But that, according to the latest industry intel, is about to change. Speaking with Chevrolet spokesman Monte Doran and citing a Society of Automotive Engineers' paper that's since been taken down, Edmunds reports that General Motors is preparing to shoehorn an eight-speed automatic into the new Corvette. The gearbox, according to Edmunds, is codenamed 8L90, and considering that GM doesn't have another eight-speed gearbox to slot into the Corvette, we're assuming this is an entirely new transmission for the company.

We'd also have to assume that the new eight-speed will replace (and not join) the long-serving six-speed automatic in the Stingray, and will probably not be offered in the soon-to-be-released, track-focused Z06 - but will surely prove a popular option on the Stingray coupe and convertible. As we reported in October, even with the current six-speed auto, three-out-of-five early Corvette buyers are specifying the two-pedal setup, with Chevy expecting that ratio to climb as time goes on. We can also expect improved fuel economy numbers to result, but whether performance will improve with the addition of two more gears remains to be seen.

Akerson himself previously noted that a female CEO at one of the Detroit Three was "inevitable."

Mary Barra is set to become the first woman to lead a global automaker. The executive will succeed General Motors' Dan Akerson, a former private equity bigwig who was appointed in 2009 to help lead the company out of bankruptcy. Akerson, 65, will be retiring in January, although rumors have been swirling about his potential replacement for months.

Barra, 51, has been at GM since age 18. Most recently, she has been executive vice president of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. Barra has previously served in various positions within the company over her 33 years, including vice president of Global Manufacturing Engineering, executive director of Competitive Operations Engineering, and vice president of Global Human Resources.

We reported just four weeks ago that Akerson probably wasn't leaving until next year, and that a dedicated search for his replacement - widely believed to be either Barra or President of GM North America Mark Reuss - had not yet begun. In the official press release announcing Barra's appointment, GM notes that Akerson pulled ahead his retirement date after his wife was diagnosed with advanced cancer. That said, the news of Barra taking over isn't entirely shocking, as Akerson himself previously noted that a female CEO at one of the Detroit Three was "inevitable."

For his part, Reuss, 50, will slot into Barra's role, giving up his position as executive vice president and president of North American operations.

In other appointment news, Dan Ammann, 41, GM's CFO and executive vice president, has been named its president, with Chevrolet and Cadillac reporting directly to him, as well as GM Financial.

For the rest of the details, check out the official press release below.

To say that Opus makes books is like saying Bugatti makes cars. Sure, it's true, in the strictest literal sense, but it hardly does it justice. Opus makes tomes, high-end luxury albums in tribute to icons of sport and culture. Its past editions have focused on sports franchises like Arsenal, the Boston Celtics and the Superbowl itself. Opus has profiled Ferrari, and, of course, they've done one on Formula One.

If you're so inclined, you can pick up a copy of The Official Formula 1 Opus for $3,200, or upgrade to the $16k Legends Edition (signed by an array of former world champions) or the Champions Edition that goes for $32k and comes in a carbon-fiber box. But if spending the price of a new car on a book strikes you as a bit much, just look at the latest edition.

Called "The Bernie," it's named after (and signed by) F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone. Its 850 pages are filled 1,200 photographs immortalizing the sport, half of which have never been published anywhere else. It measures a foot and a half square by 8 inches thick and weighs over 77 pounds. Oh, and it costs a million dollars. Or we should say that it has a million-dollar reserve price, because there'll only be one made, and it'll go to the highest bidder. Of course for a million bucks, you'd expect to get more than a book, and indeed The Bernie comes with what essentially boils down to carte blanche at every grand prix in the 2014 Formula One World Championship.

The winning bidder will get a table in the Paddock Club for the entirety of each race weekend, an all-access red pass for the owner and three guests to walk the pit lane and take tea with Ecclestone himself. In short, the owner gets to play Bernie Ecclestone, only instead of making millions, he'll have to pay a million for the privilege. The all-access pass strikes us as an enviable position to be in – we're just not sure it's worth seven figures.