New for 2011 is a different testing procedure for the NHTSA five star test rating. NHTSA is basically making it harder for new cars and trucks to earn the government agency's coveted five-star safety rating. Just like emissions, things are getting a lot harder for car manufacturers. So who will prevail and earn the NHTSA five star rating, I'm counting on the big three: Ford, GM, and Chrysler!

In the upcoming Sprint Cup Carfax 400 race the 2011 Ford Fiesta sedan will be the pace car. This is a very rare sight to see, as the Ford fiesta is more of an economy car than a performance product. Most pace cars are performance sports cars of some sort. I think Ford feels this is a great marketing opportunity for the Ford Fiesta, there will 7.9 million viewers watching the Sprint Cup Carfax 400.

Good news on the Mopar front, there will be a redesigned Dodge Charger for 2012. The photo shows the current model, but the Charger will be sleeker than the current model and look more like the 1969 Dodge Charger.

The 2012 Charger will still sport the cross-hair grille, that may change too since Dodge says they are changing the Dodge logo for the future. The new styled Dodge Charger will have three different engine choices: 3.6-liter V-6, a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8. Dodge also plans on using a eight speed automatic transmission from ZF Group for V6 and V8 engines, which is pretty crazy!

I never heard of an eight speed transmission before, Dodge must be doing this for good gas mileage. So far I'm quite excited with the big change Dodge plans to do for the Dodge Charger, I just hope the turnout is impressive! Maybe it will look like the 1999 Dodge Charger concept, really never understood why Dodge didn't use that style for the production model Dodge Charger.  One feature I just loved on the concept was the twin exhaust tips out the back of the bumper, kind of reminds me of the Shelby GT350 Mustang.

You speed racers better watch out, Chevy is coming out with a new cop car for police stations everywhere. Police departments will be using the 2012 Chevrolet Caprice, it will feature a 6.0 liter V8 engine pumping out 355 horsepower and 384 foot pounds of torque.

The interior of the squad car will swallow a class-leading 112 cubic feet of criminals, while the custom front seats will have room for officers to wear a gun belt. A full-width prisoner partition will separate the front from the back, with airbags on both sides.

From the looks of it, the new Caprice cop car is very sleek looking. So next time you line the cars up out on the street, better think again, the police are now packing some horsepower behind their gas pedal.

German company BMW is recalling twelve thousand 5-series sedans due to defective fuel tank sensors. According to researchers the fuel sensors become wedged against the tank, causing the fuel gauge to display a fals reading, make it show that there is a higher amount of fuel than what is present.

This is vital for anyone who goes on long trips with their 5-series BMW sedan. So far there have been 10 reported incidents of sedans being affected by the defect in the US. The recall involves 6,400 cars in the United States and 5,000 to 6,000 sedans in China.

Next week will be the big unveiling of the Ford Explorer. 20,000 Facebook friends of the new design will be ready, the unveiling will be Monday. This will be the first time Ford will ever reveal a redesigned vehicle online rather than the auto show.

The plan is for the 2011 Explorer to go on sale this winter, it's a new crossover engineered on a car-based platform rather than a truck. There will be two different engines to choose from: a 3.5 liter V6 or a two liter ecoboost four cylinder engine. The four cylinder will get 30 percent fuel efficiency increase. Other changes include a lighter aluminum hood and radiator, 65 percent lighter difference. I think the Ford Explorer will be a good change for the new year.

Stepping up to a mid engine car is a big step. It's like going from the minor leagues to the pros, it takes skill to compete in the minors but nothing compares to the pro league. Down below are some lists of motorsports champions, companies such as McLaren, Porsche, and Ferrari.

Acura NSX

The mid-engine NSX was built from 1990 to 2005 in Tochigi, Japan, by Honda. It was the first production car to feature an all-aluminum chassis, suspension and body. The rear-wheel-drive supercar came with the now-famous 3.0-liter VTEC V6 making 270 hp.

Lotus Exige S

The Lotus Exige is one of those cars that get by on pure science. The supercharged 1.8-liter Toyota engine makes 240 hp in North America, but the vehicle weighs in at just more than one ton. The mid-mounted engine placed just in front of the rear wheels gives the Exige a near- 50/50 weight ratio.

Toyota MR2

The MR2 was a two-seat, mid-engine wonder built in between 1984 and 2007. The last generation (2000-07) housed a 1.8-liter DOHC I4 engine making 138 hp. The car was dropped for 2006 in the United States but continued to sell elsewhere.

Ferrari Dino 206 GT

The Dino 206 (named after the late Dino Ferrari) was the first time Ferrari used a mid-engine configuration on a road-going car. The 2.0-liter V6 made only 205 hp at 8,800 rpm. The Dino was also the first Ferrari to use direct rack-and-pinion steering.

Audi R8

Before the R8, Audi’s supercar stable was bare. The German automaker had racing credibility but nothing that excited the average buyer. Enter the R8. The mid-mounted 4.2-liter in the first R8 made 420 horses. Add that to an all-wheel-drive setup, and you have a recipe for a livable supercar with a unique look.

Porsche Cayman

Slotted in between the 911 and the Boxster, the Cayman was Porsche’s middle child. That’s good for us, because it meant there was a Porsche that was less expensive than a 911 but faster than a Boxster. The mid-engine and hardtop didn’t hurt either.

Ford GT

Tracing its roots to the Le Mans-winning GT40, the Ford GT was the Blue Oval’s supercar. The 5.4-liter supercharged V8 made 550 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. Rolling-pin wheels and the Gulf Oil paint job were trademarks of the GT.

McLaren F1

At one time, the McLaren F1 was the fastest production car in the world, with a 240-mph top speed. Production of the F1 lasted from 1992 to 1998, and only 106 were built. Even with unlimited funds, they’re still hard to find.

Pontiac Fiero

Don’t laugh; the Fiero was way ahead of it’s time. It paced the Indy 500 in 1984, beating out the Chevrolet Corvette. The “Iron Duke” four-cylinder was the base engine of the Fiero; soon after, Pontiac added a high- output V6.

Lamborghini Miura

The Miura was one of the first road-ready cars to feature a mid-engine, two-seat layout. It was designed against the wishes of Ferruccio Lamborghini but was well received at the 1966 Geneva motor show. The Miura was dropped in 1972 and eventually was replaced by the Countach.

BMW is teaming up with the US Olympic Commttee, BMW will be providing financial support while allowing use of its experts and facilities to improve the Olympic teams. It's very nice to see foreign companies such as BMW doing this much for the Olympics, if only we had more companies doing great things.