BMW hires former Chevy Volt lead engineer

the Chevrolet Volt, has taken a position with BMW. Weber was serving as the head of product planning for the General Motors Opel and Vauxhall units, but will now field a variety of duties with his new Bavarian employer. Officially, Weber has taken up the head of vehicle architecture and integration mantle with BMW, though he's also expected to work heavily with the company's EfficientDynamics program. We'd be awfully surprised if his experience with plug-in hybrid technology didn't come into play as well.BMW hasn't officially announced Weber's start date as of yet, thanks in part to the fact that negotiations are still on-going with Opel. We do know that the engineer will report to Klaus Draeger, head of research and development for BMW, when he does finally get started with his new employer.

Chrysler Limited Convertible

You know you can't think of Chrysler these days without thinking it. Imported From Detroit is the tagline for, believe it or not, the 2011 Chrysler 200. At least, that's where it started. Sure, Chrysler probably would have loved to tag the more popular, fully revised 300, but alas, that car's made in Canada while the Chrysler 200 nee Sebring is bolted together by red-blooded Americans in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

But we're not here to talk about manufacturing processes or debate what is/is not an American car. We're here to talk track numbers, specifically those for the refreshed 2011 Chrysler 200 Convertible.

Follow the jump to see what this 4,022-pound (with 57% up front), 283-horsepower convertible can do on an empty testing facility.

Suzuki readying Swift S-Concept

With the Geneva Motor Show coming up in a matter of weeks, a whole mess of new debuts and concept cars are rolling in. The latest comes courtesy of Suzuki and its European operations.

Called the Swift S-Concept, the show car looks like it could be a pretty mean interpretation of the latest Swift hatchback in a higher-performance guise with a healthy dose of rally-inspired action. The Japanese automaker has released very little in the way of details, essentially announcing the debut accompanied by the preview rendering you see above.

We'll have to wait as the expo approaches for more, but for now you can check out the press release after the jump and click on the image above to view in high-resolution.

new Fiesta ST – which we've caught undergoing testing at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany

Feast your eyes on the hottest Fiesta yet. This is the new Fiesta ST – which we've caught undergoing testing at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany.

As you can see it boasts a wild bodykit with a Focus RS-style nose, which helps feed air to the intercooler – because this Fiesta is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine.

Producing around 200bhp, it should be able to do 0-60mph in around six seconds and hit a top speed of 140mph. Lowered suspension, widened front and rear tracks and two huge exhaust pipes poking out of an angry diffuser are further giveaways that this is no ordinary supermini.

According to our spy photographer, the ST was being benchmarked alongside its chief rival – the RenaultSport Clio 200. It will also compete with the VW Polo GTI, and Ford's engineers will be keen to ensure the Fiesta is a more entertaining hot hatch than both.

Inside the racy tweaks continue with a pair of sporty Recaro seats for the driver and passenger. There's no official word from Ford on when the ST will arrive, but expect an on-sale date of early 2011.

Bosal Muffler Single offset inlet and center outlet configuration; 29 in. L x 9 in. W x 7 in

Bosal Muffler - Natural, Aluminized steel, Direct OE Replacement, Standard OE Replacement
Part Number: BO163727
Manufacturer Number: 163-727
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BOSAL REAR MUFFLER, ALUMINIZED STEEL, NATURAL FINISH, SOLD INDIVIDUALLY -- Single offset inlet and center outlet configuration; 29 in. L x 9 in. W x 7 in. H; Oval casing; Standard direct fit OE replacement; Made to fit vehicle-specific requirements for backpressure, emissions, sound levels, and sensors; Precision-manufactured to high tolerances for long life; Easy installation.

Maybach Exelero concept

Maybach Exelero concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Often imitated, never duplicated. We're talking about the Maybach Exelero, the high-speed test bed commissioned from Daimler by Fulda tires. Unfortunately, only one was ever made, and it was subsequently sold for nearly $8 million, reportedly to an African diamond tycoon named André A. Jackson.

Since then, the Exelero has prompted a few wannabes in various forms, from the Brabus-tuned Maybach 57 Nardo top speed test vehicle to the "Black Ruby" and the latest Xenatech coupe. Now a company in Switzerland is apparently offering replicas of the original Exelero based on the Dodge Viper.

Little in the way of details is available at this point, save for the Viper's 8.3-liter V10 and 23-inch wheels. The manufacturer is offering the replicas – made to order to the buyer's specifications – on luxury classified site JamesList for €550,000 (about $670k). That may seem like a lot, but it's still a far cry from the eight million asked for the original.

Gallery: Maybach Exelero

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Ford to build seven-seat C-Max in Spain for export to U.S.

2011 Ford C-Max seven-seater – Click above for high-res image gallery

When Ford announced its new seven-seat Grand C-Max last fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show, it also revealed that the new model would be coming to North America for the first time. In conjunction with the announcement today that Ford's plant in Valencia, Spain would produce hybrid versions of the five-seat C-Max, Ford also announced that the same plant would be exporting the seven-seater to America late next year.

The larger C-Max is based off of Ford's new c-segment platform shared with the Focus and is similar in size to the Mazda5. This marks Ford's return to the sliding door van market that was abandoned when the Freestar was discontinued in 2006. Ford hasn't said what powerplant will go into the C-Max for export, but we would bet on the same 2.0-liter direct injected four that will power the new Focus with an optional 2.0-liter Ecoboost. Now that General Motors has decided not to sell the Chevrolet Orlando in the U.S., Ford and Mazda are currently the only entrants in this small minivan segment, with vehicles like the conventionally doored Kia Rondo lurking on the fridges.

2010 Ford Grand C-Max

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Ford C-Max

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