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Heading into the final race of the 2010 IRL IZOD IndyCar Series Championship, early championship leader Will Power clung to a 12-point lead over the fast-closing Dario Franchitti. The two drivers had each been strong on ovals or road courses, but not both. Franchitti was crowned the oval champ, earning the A.J. Foyt trophy, while Power had won the road race crown, picking up the Mario Andretti trophy. Power had shown a level of dominance through the mid-season road and street races that made his title lead look insurmountable. But Franchitti racked up more points in the latest oval races as Power struggled to get good results.

That brought the title fight down to the last race of the season at the Miami-Homestead oval: The Cafes do Brasil Indy 300. Follow the jump to see who took the 2010 IndyCar Championship and how it came to be.



[Images: Chris Graythen, Nick Laham/Getty | Alan Diaz, Terry Renna/AP]

If you like the Fiat Punto, you'll love the Punto Evo. And if you love the Evo, the Abarth Punto Evo will make you quiver. So we're not exactly sure what this Abarth Punto Evo EsseEsse is going to do to you – you may just faint. First shown at this year's Geneva Motor Show, the Abarth-tuned version of the Punto Evo debuted, offering a bit more oomph, more aggressive styling and even better handling and braking. At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, the Scorpion brand brought us even hotter versions of both, and we're very glad it did.

Wearing a Campovolo Gray paint scheme with white accents – and carrying that EsseEsse tag – this Punto gets a slight boost in power and a variety of upgrades to match. Output is now a full 180 horsepower, which is enough for a 7.5-second dash to 62 miles per hour. Additionally, top speed rises to 134 miles per hour.

That gray color might look familiar to you if you've ever seen an Italian warplane. The color is named after the airfield across the road from the company's historic headquarters in Turin. Inside, the EsseEsse gets "Abarth Corse by Sabelt" seats in black leather and Blue&Me sat-nav. The Punto also features an array of upgrades to the suspension, brakes, rolling stock and more. Full details can be found in the press release after the jump.



Photos copyright ©2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

At this year's Geneva Motor Show, Abarth-tuned versions of the Fiat 500C and Punto Evo debuted, adding some cajones to the cute-as-a-bug Fiat 500C and the no-less-lovable Punto. Now, at the Paris Motor Show, the mark of the Scorpion brought us even hotter versions of both, and our reaction was that the difference between 500C, Abarth 500C and Abarth 500C EsseEsse is much more than just shades of gray.

Wearing a gray-on-gray paint job and carrying the EsseEsse postscript – Italian for "SS" – the Abarth 500C gets a substantial boost in output and a variety of upgrades to match. In the case of the 500C, it picks up 22 tiny ponies under its curved bonnet to bring the total to 160 horsepower. That's good for a 7.6-second sprint to 62 miles per hour. Perhaps not record-breaking, but just look at it; cute as a button and pretty darn quick.

The EsseEsse also features an array of upgrades to the suspension, brakes, rolling stock and more, plus Blue&Me connectivity and Record Monza exhaust. Full details can be found in the press release after the jump.



Photos copyright ©2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

With all of the Paris Motor Show coverage this week, we haven't had a Stig update in, like, five days. The last we heard about Ben Collins, he was suggesting a "Who Wants to be The Stig" TV show, or saying that he might enter the British Touring Car Championship. Today we are hearing that, like another BTCC superstar, Jason Plato, Collins will be joining the ranks of Fifth Gear presenters.

Collins was recently fired as the Stig when he outed himself in his autobiography. The book had been held up by a court case brought by the BBC on behalf of Top Gear. Fifth Gear is the more car-focused and generally less over-the-top Top Gear rival that airs on Channel 5.

The former Stig will reportedly make his debut on Fifth Gear when the new season starts next Friday and appear in five episodes total. Collins will be at least the third former Top Gear cast member to make the switchover, joining fellow ex-TG stars Tiff Needell and Vicki Butler-Henderson over at Fifth Gear. Collins will not don the famous white racing suit on Fifth Gear, but he will reportedly appear in a "colorful racing suit" as well as present on the show in street clothes while not wearing a helmet.

In all fairness, Top Gear has also snatched talent from the Fifth Gear pool as well, with renowned wookie, Tom Ford, recently joining the ranks of Top Gear Magazine staffers. Hat tip to Kris!

[Source: The Guardian | Photograph: AP Photo/ PA]

October brings us the beginning of Fall, Halloween, Octoberfest... and the Paris Motor Show. In fact, the second and final press day is coming to a close as we speak. Between now and the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas at the beginning of November, there are going to be hundreds of automotive events to keep car-lovers busy.

Local auto shows like the OC Auto Show will bring all of the 2010 and some 2011 models to the public. The 2010 Alt Car Expo & Conference in Santa Monica will do the same for those who want the latest in green motoring. Camaro lovers of all stripes might want to stop in at the Hotchkis All-Camaro Show and Open House at their shop in Santa Fe Springs, CA.

Classic and collectible car fans can still see some of the most amazing machinery from throughout history at events like:

• Niello Concours at Serrano
• Louisville Concours d'Elegance
• ATHS "Semi Chapter" annual antique truck show
• Octoberfest Auto Show
• Fall Meet Week at the AACA Museum - a.k.a. Hershey
• Ocean City Corvette Weekend
• First Annual Car Show at the Cradle Aviation Museum
• Simeone Museum: "Nurburgring"
• Santa Barbara Concours d'Elegance
• Art Center Car Classic
• Del Mar Concours d'Elegance
• 9th Annual Wings, Wheels & Rotors Expo

If you'd like to buy your own classic, there are a couple of auctions in October as well – RM Auctions hosts its Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey event during Fall Meet Week in Hershey, PA. RM also conducts its Automobiles of London auction this month.

Racing fans can take in Formula 1 action during the Japanese and Korean Grands Prix. The Chase is on in NASCAR and the pack will be making stops at Kansas, Charlotte, Fontana, Martinsville and Talladega. IndyCar finishes its 2010 season with the championship-deciding Miami Indy 300. The WRC hosts rallies in France and Spain this month, while the ALMS heads to Georgia for the Petit Le Mans. Drag racing fans can catch NHRA action at Maple Grove Raceway and Las Vegas in October.

If none of those events appeal to you, check out our Google Calendar after the jump for even more listings, all with detailed info and links. And please don't forget to use the comments section to add or modify listings.

It's not very often you see a Bugatti Veyron going up for auction...especially at Barrett-Jackson. Perhaps better known for their muscle cars and classics, the occasional late-model sportscar will sometimes pop up, but we can't ever remember a Veyron crossing the block. Well, on Saturday night, a 2008 Bugatti Veyron with 11,800 miles on the clock did indeed cross the block at B-J...but things didn't go quite as planned.

The one-time fastest production car on the planet (it's been trumped by Bugatti's own Super Sport) might have sold for over $1.8 million new, but was struggling to break the 1 mil mark in Vegas. Heck, it barely got to $700,000. Now, that's still a lot of money for a car, but it should have brought much more – we've never heard of a non-wrecked example going for anywhere near that little. In the end, the Bug went to a guy seated near the stage who outbid a couple of phone bidders – but that's when it got weird.

Saying that he hadn't actually bid and then that he was only trying to help, the would-be buyer rescinded his bid... and was promptly escorted from the premises. Barrett-Jackson didn't want to lose any credibility – so CEO Craig Jackson stepped up and bought the car himself. Just as he was announcing what had happened, he got a phone call from one of the other phone bidders who was saying he'd take the car off Craig's hands. Quite the little soap opera, but good theater nonetheless. Follow the jump to see the video and take a look at the gallery below as well. Hat tip to Larry!



[Sources: Speed TV, Barrett-Jackson]

Remember that 500+-horsepower Suzuki Kizashi that recently went over 200 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats? The one that Road & Track's Sam Mitani drove to a new F/BGC record of 203.720? Well, R&T brought it down to Cars and Coffee this weekend and we got our first up-close look at it. Color us impressed.

The exterior features a large air dam up front, Moon discs and a pair of dorsal ridges running along the roof, but other than that, the car looks pretty much stock. Sure it sits a bit lower and it is covered in decals, but it doesn't look much different from a tuner Suzuki that one might see at this weekly show. Even the engine looks relatively streetable.

Looking inside, you see much of the same – a fairly stock dash and center console, the original door panels, and even the stock steering wheel, albeit with the airbag removed. The biggest mods inside are for safety, with a single racing seat and a roll cage, plus a couple of fire-suppression tanks and a slew of switches and levers to keep everything moving smoothly. The biggest tip-off that this is something a little more special than just a tuner Kizashi is that giant parachute out back. Click below to check out our high-res gallery.



Photos Copyright ©2010 Frank Filipponio / AOL

It looks like the Hyundai Sonata is officially taking its place near the top of the midsize car category. We already told you how it has moved into third place in the sales race, and now it moves up the charts again... but on a much less desirable list. Hyundai has issued a recall of 139,500 Sonatas over steering issues.


The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report at safercar.gov identifies the issue says "the steering column intermediate shaft universal joint connections may have been either improperly assembled or insufficiently tightened." The consequence could be "a complete separation or compromised attachment of the connections, such that the driver could experience a loss of, or reduction in, steering capability increasing the risk of a crash."

The recall affects MY 2011 Hyundai Sonata sedans built between December 11, 2009 and September 10, 2010. Dealers should begin sending out recall notices in October. They will inspect and re-torque the assembly, and update the steering software too, at no charge.

In the meantime, owners can contact the Hyundai Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-633-5151, or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153). Hat tip to Ralph!



Photos by Steven J. Ewing / Copyright ©2010 AOL

[Source: NHTSA]

Heading into Saturday, only two races remained in the 2010 Izod IndyCar Series season, and the championship is coming down to the wire. Team Penske's Will Power raced to an early lead in the standings, his dominating performances on the road and street courses earning him the inaugural Mario Andretti award as the road course champ.

Team Target Chip Ganassi teammates Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon headed to Japan in second and third respectively and first and second in the oval championship standings. Power's lead before the green flag waved at Twin Ring Motegi was 17 points over Dario, the same lead Franchitti has over Dixon in the race for the A.J. Foyt oval champ award. This weekend's Indy Japan 300 was crucial, with the potential to end with both championships decided even though the season's final race at Homestead is still two weeks away.

Follow the jump to see how it played out.



[Images: Jonathan Ferrey, Chris Graythen/Jiji Press/AFP/Getty, Shizuo Kambayashi, Greg Baker/AP]

Honda is set to launch a recall of certain 2010 Accord Crosstour models to "inspect and potentially replace the front passenger airbag." According to Honda, the recall will cover about 3,340 units in total, some 700 of those in Canada.

The cause for the recall stems from recent testing which revealed a potential problem with the airbag modules not meeting the rules regarding protection of an unbelted, child test dummies in the front seats. They say no incidents have been reported, but Honda is recommending that children under the age of 12 be properly restrained in the vehicle's rear seat for now.

Honda will notify affected customers by mail but owners can also call their dealer or Customer Relations toll-free at 1-888-946-6329.



Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright ©2010 AOL

[Source: Canada NewsWire via Digital Journal]

For the IRL IndyCar Series, the 2010 Kentucky Indy 300 was all about the number "200." It was the 200th race in IRL history. The drivers would be running 200 laps around the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway. And the speeds would be well above 200 mph as the field of 27 cars ran inches away from each other under the lights of Kentucky. Among those 27 drivers was last year's runner-up, Ed Carpenter, who still hasn't scored a full-time ride, and Paul Tracy, the fan favorite who seems to never get rusty. Maybe we'll have to start calling him Platinum Paul.

Last week's winner Dario Franchitti was making things interesting in the race for the championship by closing the gap to points leader Will Power who hasn't done as well as some of the others – including Franchitti – on ovals. Kentucky is an oval, of course, and so are Motegi and Miami, the final two races of the season. Would Power be able to get that monkey off his back? Would Franchitti take the win and close the gap even further? Would the talented and hard luck Ed Carpenter finally head to Victory Lane? Follow the jump to see how the 2010 Kentucky Indy 300 went down.



[Images: Chris Graythen, Streeter Lecka/Getty Images | Ed Reinke, James Crisp/AP]

While everyone and their mother seems to have made Top Gear USA bashing the new national pastime, you might want to take a look at the newest video tease it's just released. While the appeal of the BBC show undoubtedly revolves around the chemistry between its three mismatched hosts, at its core, it's a show about cars. So even if we're not certain the three American hosts can live up to the legacy established by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, perhaps they really don't need to.

Top Gear USA isn't a replacement for the BBC show after all – it's more of a spin-off. And as long as the production values stay high – and from the looks of it, they have – it's just more car pr0n for all of us. Case in point: the video you'll see after the jump. The storyline is fairly straightforward: Round up the baddest Lamborghinis from the corral – Superleggera, Balboni and SuperVeloce – and open them up so we can see what they'll do. Can there possibly be a loser? Maybe the matador. Follow the jump to see the Top Gear USA guys on their run with the bulls. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: The History Channel via YouTube]

September means the end of summer vacation, but the automotive festivities continue, including the Paris Motor Show at the very end of the month. We'll have a full team coverage in the City of Lights, but that's almost a month away. Between now and then there are hundreds of car-related events to keep all but the most rabid gearheads satisfied.

While our coverage of Monterey and the Woodward Dream Cruise last month gave us a year's worth of classic and collectible car memories, September has a lot more to offer for classic car fans. Here's some highlights:

• Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival
• The Great Labor Day Cruise
• Chico Concours d'Elegance
• Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance
• Kirkland Concours d'Elegance
• Coastline Car Classic & Motoring Road Rally
• Belmont Shore Car Show
• Fairfield County Concours d'Elegance
• Japanese Classic Car Show
• Salisbury Concours d'Elegance
• Route 66 Rendezvous
• Glenmoor Gathering
• Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance
• Capitol Concours d'Elegance
• Cruisin' For A Cure
• New York Motorexpo
• San Diego Hi-Performance Expo

If you'd like to buy your own classic, there are plenty of auctions in September as well: RM Auctions: Auburn Fall Collector Car Auction, Worldwide Auctioneers Auburn Auction, The Branson Auction, Vintage Toy Vehicle Auction, Mecum St. Charles Auction and the Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction.

Racing fans can take in Formula 1 action during the Italian and Singapore Grands Prix. NASCAR has stops at Atlanta, Richmond, New Hampshire and Dover. IndyCar heads to Kentucky and Japan in September before wrapping up the 2010 season in Miami in October. The WRC hosts the Rally Japan this month, while the ALMS heads to Georgia for the Petit Le Mans at the end of the month. Grand-Am fanciers can catch the last race of the season at Miller Motorsports Park. Two-wheel fans can see the AMA Pro Superbike Championship at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

If none of those events appeal to you, check out our Google Calendar after the jump for even more listings, all with detailed info and links. And please don't forget to use the comments section to add or modify listings.