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As tributes to Paul Walker and Roger Rodas continue to pour out from across the automotive and entertainment spheres, the investigation into the fatal crash of the Porsche Carrera GT being driven by Rodas continues. Both Huffington Post and USA Today have information on causes of death for both Walker and Rodas. For those that are sensitive to such things, we've included information about that after the jump.

In other news related to Walker's death, The Hollywood Reporter has a statement from Universal Studios that production of Fast and Furious 7, which Walker had a starring role in, has been suspended indefinitely as grieving continues and plans are made to salvage a film that is without its lead actor. The statement follows rumors that production would be put on hold. Universal said in a statement:

"Right now, all of us at Universal are dedicated to providing support to Paul's immediate family and our extended Fast and Furious family of cast, crew and filmmakers. At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on Fast and Furious 7 for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise. We are committed to keeping Fast and Furious fans informed, and we will provide further information to them when we have it. Until then, we know they join us in mourning the passing of our dear friend Paul Walker."

It is illegal to plug your cell phone into an available outlet on public property? It is illegal to do so with an electric car? In Georgia it is, apparently.

Nissan Leaf driver Kaveh Kamooneh, of Dekalb, GA, went to watch his son play tennis at school last month and plugged his EV into an outlet on the outside of the school. A police officer saw him, but didn't arrest him on the spot. Instead, the officer filed a police report and troopers went to Kamooneh's house 11 days later, arresting him and putting him in the slammer for 15 hours. The total value of Kamooneh's 20-minute refueling? Five cents, but the local Chamblee police Sergeant Ernesto Ford said the arrest was absolutely the right thing to do, telling local TV news station 11 Alive that, "he broke the law. He stole something that wasn't his." In his defense, Kamooneh said that he was at the school on a Saturday and there was no one to ask for permission to plug in his car. We've embedded two videos from 11 Alive below.

In 11 Alive's interview with Kamooneh we can see he has a good attitude about the whole incident, laughing at times. But 'free' public charging like this is an interesting question. It may not be legal, but is it really wrong? No one seems to have problems with people plugging their gadgets, so why is it wrong to plug in a car? We'd love to hear if anyone has had a similar experience in the comments. And it's good to see that, while it's not a scientific poll, at least 11 Alive readers are voting 93 percent to seven percent that the arrest was overkill.

I've struggled with diesel technology. It's not that I have a problem with it or dislike it, but rather that I don't particularly understand what stops its wider-spread adoption. Sure, memories of rust-prone, smoky, sluggish and uneconomical Oldsmobile diesels aren't exactly easy to erase from the collective memory of the North American motoring public, but I'd think that a few years into the latest crop of clean diesels, there'd be wider adoption – or at least consumer consideration – by now.

Part of the issue is the still limited number of segments that diesels are available in. The Volkswagen Golf/Jetta TDI is finally getting a challenger in the form of the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, and the BMW 328d is bringing something new to the entry-level sports sedan, but there are still a huge group of segments where diesel-power has no representation.

The small, luxury crossover realm is not one of those. It has the Mercedes-Benz GLK250 Bluetec, a stylish crossover with a silky-smooth 2.1-liter, turbodiesel four-cylinder that can return the kind of fuel economy that makes people take notice. And while the GLK250 is quite good, economy will only spread the diesel's appeal so far. People need to experience the seat-flattening torque that these mills can produce, and for that, we most humbly recommend the new 2014 Audi Q5 TDI.

Driving Notes

• Rather than the 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine from the Audi A3/VW Golf/Jetta, the Q5 makes excellent use of the Audi Q7's 3.0-liter, TDI V6. The only issue we have with this engine in this car is that it took so long for Audi to pull the trigger on it in the US market. With 240 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque, the ability to hit 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and a promised highway fuel economy of 31 miles per gallon, you'd be silly to consider the Q5 and not at least test drive the TDI variant.
• The Q5 TDI is officially rated at 31 mpg on the highway and 24 mpg in the city. Hogwash. Driving carefully, I saw an average in mixed driving of 29 to 30 mpg, besting the 27-mpg combined rating. A 240-mile highway road trip, meanwhile, saw my average climb up to 34 mpg while doing roughly the 70-mile-per-hour speed limit. What makes the Q5 TDI's driving character special, though, is that so long as I wasn't a total boob with the gas pedal, netting those numbers was a snap.
• Ignore all the polar bears the Q5 TDI's fuel economy can save by diving into the skinny pedal, though, and the 428-pound-feet of torque are quick to rear their head. There's some turbo lag, which we've come to accept from diesel engines, but it's followed up by a huge surge of torque. Power is super accessible, making the Q5 TDI quicker than it really seems on first glance. This is especially evident on the freeway, where passing maneuvers are a snap.
• Joining the 3.0-liter V6 is an eight-speed automatic transmission that feels perfectly suited to this oil-burning application in the Q5. It's smooth, predictable and fast in both upshifts and downshifts, delivering the sort of unobtrusive power that further enhances the waves of torque that the diesel engine generates. The manual mode is snappy, but to our eyes, it's a bit unnecessary in this setting.
• Ignore the graphics you see in the images up top - not every Q5 TDI will be adorned with ridiculous billboard-sized promotions meant to ballyhoo this car's different powertrain. The CUV that will be on dealer lots will be indistinguishable from a model with the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder or the 3.0-liter, supercharged V6, aside from a small TDI badge on the hatch lid.
• Opting for the diesel model doesn't limit you to a few optional goodies, either. Like the supercharged Q5, the TDI is available in the mid-range Premium Plus and top-end Prestige trims (the base Premium trim is for 2.0-liter gas models only), and then has a number of packages and optional extras on top of that, including navigation, adaptive dynamics, 20-inch alloy wheels and a Bang & Olufsen stereo. Really, Audi has gone to some lengths not to penalize Q5 TDI buyers.
• Pricing for the Q5 TDI starts at $46,500 for the Premium Plus model, which makes it pricier than both the similarly equipped 2.0 TFSI ($41,200) and 3.0 TFSI ($44,400), but cheaper than the more complex and less entertaining Q5 Hybrid ($51,300). (All prices subject to a $895 fee for destination and delivery).
• The latter is similar in price to our tester's Prestige trim, which adds additional features like the B&O stereo, navigation, adaptive xenon headlights (the Premium Plus comes with just regular xenons), blind spot monitoring and a power tailgate, among other features, will ding its new owner for $51,900.

It's rare to see an entire racing team's collection go up for auction at once, but that's just what happened this past weekend at Bonhams' new headquarters in London, where there Ecurrie Ecosse collection brought in top dollar (or pound, anyway).

The collection, whose consignment we first reported on back in September, included a smattering of Jaguars, other classic racers and an iconic transporter truck, all decked out in the same blue and white livery of the Scottish flag. After reportedly feverish bidding on Sunday, the 1952 Jaguar C-Type sold for £2,900,000 ($4.75m), the '56 short-nose D-Type for another £2,600,000 ($4.26m), and the transporter for a shocking £1,800,000 (nearly $3 million) – all to the same unnamed American collector. A 1952 Jaguar XK120 roadster went to another buyer for a record £707,000 ($1.16m).

With Ringo Star's Facel Vega selling for £337,500 ($550k) and Michael Schumacher's Benetton B194 fetching another £617,500 (just over a million), the auction total skyrocketed to £16,861,630 ($2.75m), which Bonhams described as "a roaring success". Scope out the press release below for more info.

If the 50-year-old Chicken Tax were repealed, there would undoubtedly be an influx of foreign-made light trucks and vans available in the US. In addition to imported midsize trucks like the global Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton, this would also leave the door open for Volkswagen to someday offer its Amarok here.

Following the introduction of the 2015 Chevy Colorado at the LA Auto Show, Motor Trend sat down with VW's American CEO Jonathan Browning who said that the automaker still does not plan to offer its Amarok pickup in the US but would "reevaluate" that decision if the 25-percet tax were dropped. The 1960s-era tariff would likely be killed off if Japan joins the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and while that opens up a bigger can of worms for car US car exports, it would help bring more truck and van imports to our shores.

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV has long be the Spartan contender in the US plug-in vehicle scene. It's basic electric transportation with a low-ish price tag. If you don't want any frills with your zero-emission car, the i was the way to go.

The i started its sales life in 2011 with a $27,990 price tag, but that was jacked up by $1,135 a few months later because of "unforeseen changes in market conditions." Even with the increase, the i was on the lower end of the available EV price list and there were times when the Mitsubishi i was an even better electric bargain. Earlier this year, some dealers put $10,000 rebates on the hood, but that wasn't a national program.

2013, though, was the year for plug-in vehicle price drops, with the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt both losing thousands from their MSRPs. So, it really shouldn't come as a surprise that the i is also shedding dollars: Mitsubishi has announced that the 2014 i will starts at a price that's $6,130 less than the outgoing 2012 model. The new, pre-incentive price? $22,995. Factor in the $7,500 federal tax credit and you can be looking at a brand new EV for $15,495.

To go along with the price drop, Mitsubishi is adding many standard features, making the plain car a little less difficult to enjoy. Heated front seats, a charge port lamp, leather steering wheel and "numerous decorative color/trim upgrades" should make the i more comfortable. On the technology front, a Chademo DC quick charge port and a battery warming system should help with range questions. You can see a full list of upgrades in the press release below.

Oh, and the company is now calling the i the i-MiEV in the press release, so we should assume that shortened name is finished, then?

For the first time ever, Motor Trend has named a back-to-back winner of its Truck of the Year competition, handing the crown to last year's winner, the Ram 1500. Ram's entry to the pickup battle bested a range of new or heavily improved models, including its big brothers, the Ram Heavy Duty and Ram ProMaster van.

Other contenders included the twins from General Motors, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, the Toyota Tundra, the Ford Transit Connect, the Nissan NV200 and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Just how did a truck that technically hit the market in 2012 best a range of vehicles from 2013? With new technology.

MT wasn't testing the same Ram it tested in last year's competition - it was driving the new EcoDiesel V6, complete with an eight-speed automatic transmission. When ran through the battery of testing, the torquey diesel Ram proved to be the victor for its ample torque and excellent fuel economy, while the team at Motor Trend also highlighted its air suspension and overall sense of style and luxury.

"Not only did [the Ram 1500] withstand our rigorous testing, it thoroughly impressed our judges with its vast array of standard and optional equipment, and, most notable, its fuel-efficient, segment-exclusive EcoDiesel V-6. With 420 pound-feet of torque and up to 28 'Real MPG' highway, the EcoDiesel is a true game-changer," said Motor Trend's Editor-In-Chief Ed Loh.

With the naming of the 2014 Truck of the Year, MT has completed its testing that saw the 2014 Cadillac CTS named Car of the Year and the 2014 Subaru Forester as SUV of the Year. The full story on the Ram and the other trucks will be published in Motor Trend's February 2014 issue. Until then, scroll down for a full press release from Ram about its victory.

The saying goes that man cannot live by bread alone, and neither can automakers live by selling one car alone. This holds especially true for automakers with a budding dealer network to support, like the Fiat brand, which returned to US shores in 2011 after a 28-year absence. The company's single car to sell at the time was the Fiat 500, a cute retro rebirth of the original, iconic Cinquecento, which your toddler now calls Luigi thanks to Pixar.

Since then, the new 500 has sold reasonably well here in the US, and the Fiat brand has been following the same playbook that another purveyor of pint-sized autos, Mini, has used: sell as many variants as you can of the one model you've got. So we have the 500, 500C drop top, high-performance 500 Abarth, all-electric 500e and a few additional trim levels and special editions to further fill dealer showrooms. But the axiom that automakers cannot live selling one car alone still stands, and so Fiat has finally introduced its second model, the larger 500L.

Executive Editor Chris Paukert completed our First Drive of the 500L back in June, and was left pleasantly surprised by its combination of utility, offbeat style, fun-to-drive demeanor and value. We've also, however, read some scathing reviews, like this one from The New York Times. I wasn't sure where the truth lay when the keys for this top-trim 2014 Fiat 500L Lounge were handed to me, but finding out would be but a short week of together time away.

As capable as the new Corvette Stingray is, and as many as Chevy has sold so far, we all knew it was only the beginning. The Stingray Convertible goes on sale later this month, but the version enthusiasts have really been looking forward to is the Z06. And soon the wait will be over.

Although Chevrolet hasn't released much in the way of details to go with the teaser shot you see above, it has confirmed that the new Corvette Z06 will be unveiled in full at the Detroit Auto Show next month. All we can really glean from the teaser image are the low-profile Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires on lightweight-looking alloys, as well as carbon-fiber side skirt and fender-flare extensions. Promised to be "the most track-capable Corvette ever," the new Z06 (not Z07 as previously speculated) was "designed to deliver supercar levels of performance through unique powertrain, chassis and aerodynamic features."

Once production gets under way late next year, it will join a growing family of performance Chevys, alongside the Camaro range, the new SS performance sedan, and of course the rest of the Corvette lineup. Scope out the press release below for the full text.

The Mercedes AMG Vision Gran Turismo isn't the first car designed specifically for the popular PlayStation driving simulator. There were several before, from the GTbyCitroën to the Red Bull X1. And it won't be the last, either.

When Polyphony Digital and Mercedes-Benz revealed the AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept for GT6, it said at the time that it would be just the first. And now the video game studio has released sketches of some of the others we might expect to see appearing in the game in the near future (as promised this summer).

We've got precisely squat to go on in the way of details, but the renderings themselves speak volumes. Or a few lines, anyway. In the gallery above, you can see proposals for more Vision Gran Turismo concepts from Aston Martin (pictured above), Alfa Romeo, Bertone, BMW, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, ItalDesign Giugiaro, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, SRT, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and Zagato. There's even one from Nike, and another from Mercedes (this time from its F1 team).

Just how many of these will find their way into the game remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: we haven't seen the last of concept cars designed specifically for video games.

Did you know that the gents from Top Gear do a lot more than just make us all laugh on the telly for a few Sundays each year? It's true, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May all have other projects, newspaper columns or TV shows to keep them busy, but predictably, these aren't your average day jobs.

May, for example, will be riding the 38-mile-long Isle of Man Tourist Trophy course on, of all things, a full-size motorized trike made of Meccano. Meccano, for those that aren't in the know, are what our friends across the pond call Erector Sets. Yes, he's going to run the weaving, hilly Isle of Man TT course on 15,000 pieces of Meccano. How hard can it be? Well, considering the traditionally difficult conditions on the course, the 38-mile length and the Meccano's 15-mile-per-hour top speed, we're thinking it'll be pretty darn hard.

The challenge is part of May's show that isn't Top Gear, Toy Stories, which sees Captain Slow take on life-size challenges with children's toys. He's previously built a Supermarine Spitfire from an Airfix kit and built a full-size house out of Lego. This is the second time May has featured Meccano on the show, as the third episode of the first season saw him build a life-size, rolling drawbridge.

It certainly sounds like an interesting challenge, and one we can't wait to see May carry out. Here's hoping the show, which airs on BBC Two, will make it to the US.

The big game of musical chairs that is the Formula One offseason plays on as Force India has announced one of its two drivers for next season.

After winning the GP2 championship in 2009 (and several other feeder-series titles before that), Nico Hulkenberg got his start in F1 with Williams, impressing with a rookie-year pole position but no podium finishes. He spent the following year as a test driver, this time for Force India, and was promoted to the race seat the next year, but spent this past season driving for Sauber. Having been passed over to fill Kimi Raikkonen's seat at Lotus, the highly rated young German is now moving back to Force India in a multi-year deal.

Over the past six seasons since taking over the team from Spyker (which itself had taken over from Jordan), Force India has worked its way up the chain from a perennial back-marker to a solid mid-field contender, even giving some erstwhile leading teams a run for their money. Force India finishedFa this year's championship behind McLaren and Lotus but ahead of Sauber, Toro Rosso and onetime great Williams.

Force India has yet to announce who will partner with him next season, but both its current drivers Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta are tipped to be leaving the team.

Judging by the success that many luxury automakers are currently experiencing in China, it's no surprise that Lincoln plans to take advantage of the situation by peddling its wares across the Pacific. Lincoln will open its first Chinese dealership next year, but potential buyers there won't be mucking through the same alphabet soup of car names found in American showrooms. USA Today reports that Ford's luxury car division could revert back to legacy names (like Continental and Zephyr) in China while keeping the MK_ names here in North America.

In speaking to Ford exec Jim Farley during the LA Auto Show, USA Today says that Lincoln could switch its naming structure as models are refreshed. Farley didn't confirm that the naming revamp would be a China-only decision, but article leaves little hope that American buyers will get to see the return of classic names anytime soon.

Why would Ford rehash old Lincoln names for China only? Buyers there seem to have a better historical associations with the nameplates than in the US. Chinese also still hold Lincoln in high regard, associating the marque with use by prominent government officials.

Audi just announced its intentions to build the Q1 in 2016. By that time, the company will already have introduced the opposing bookend to that subcompact utility vehicle, the fullsize Q7. The last time we saw the next-gen Audi Q7 out testing, our spy shots were very low quality and didn't reveal much about the luxury SUV. This time around we're able to make out a few key elements about the Q7.

For starters, the unfinished headlights have a stylish, wave-like lighting element with a three-dimensional appearance, while the rear of the Q7 will definitely get a similar wraparound liftgate as the current model. Overall, this prototype looks to be about the same size as the existing Q7, so it will be interesting to see how Audi squeezes almost 800 pounds from the SUV's curb weight. The diet will surely help improve efficiency, and we also hear that Audi is considering a plug-in hybrid model in addition to the standard gas and diesel variants.

Riding on a shared platform with the next-gen Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and the upcoming Bentley Falcon SUV, the next Audi Q7 is expected to bow in late 2014 for the 2015 model year.