Top Gear is asking viewers worldwide to submit ideas for the gold envelope challenge. Naturally, it's a little more involved than dropping Jeremy Clarkson an email; you'll need to make your own YouTube video. Winners will acquire a pair of tickets to one of the stops on the Top Gear Live tour (London; Birmingham, UK; Dublin; Johannesburg; Sydney; Auckland and Hong Kong) — 5 pairs per city.

Any questions not answered in the above video can possibly be found on Top Gear's YouTube channel homepage. Your deadline to dream up a torturous challenge for saint May is October 14.

It never fails, does it? Build a performance car and price it low enough for younger drivers to afford, and then, the insurance companies step into to ruin the fun. Maybe.

Every couple years, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the non-profit testing and research agency supported by auto insurance companies, releases its model-by-model insurance loss rate scores. And it just so happens that among 2005-2007 models, the Subaru Impreza WRX had the highest loss rate among all types of coverage.

Our guess is that the WRX's relative popularity is the culprit. Also, the IIHS didn't track the Mitsubishi Lancer/Lancer Evolution, while the Mazdaspeed 3 was evidently rolled into the Mazda 3 line. So it's hard to make a definitive assessment for this class of car. Insurers, of course, think in terms of risk, not class. 

IIHS

If you're in Los Angeles, it's always worth it to stop by the Petersen Museum to see what's on exhibit. If you're here this Saturday (Sept. 26), you can stop by to watch the "Icons of Speed & Style" kustom kulture auction. Nothing at this auction is going to go for a million bucks or even half that, but there are plenty of cool, old, original cars from Southern California's car culture as it developed from the 1920s through the 1960s.

You can check the full auction list here, but among the highlights is the 1962 Ed Roth Mysterion Roadster. It had two Ford 406 V8s and two 3-speed automatic transmissions. Imagine handling all that on live-axle suspension with a pair of drum brakes. Fun! There's a video tour of the Mysterion after the jump.

Other interesting cars, from left to right in the thumbs below, include the 1958 "Little Nailhead" dragster (with Buick Nailhead V8), a pair of "Jungle Jim" 1969 Chevy Nova funny cars (Chevrolet 427 V8, roots-type supercharger, Chrysler TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic), a General Lee 1969 Dodge Charger (apparently one of the originals used on the Dukes set), the "Cool Merc" project car from 1976 (based on a 1950 Mercury) and, for kids, a 2/3-scale '57 Chevy (265 Chevy V8).

Video after the jump. Full list of cars at the auction.

There's a pretty major performance upgrade on the 2010 Lexus IS-F: a torsen-type limited-slip rear differential. Previously, the IS-F only had a simulated limited-slip diff effect via its VDIM system. And, we usually shut down the VDIM system completely, so it was a handful on the track. This should help with that. The LSD is standard equipment on the $58,635 2010 IS-F.

Also, the 2010 IS-F gets updated 19-inch wheels, a USB diddley and streaming Bluetooth. On the options list, you'll find an upgraded hard-drive-based navigation system with XM Nav Traffic, Weather and Sports (90-day trial XM subscription), bundled with the new Lexus Enform telematic system.

Comparison Test: 2008 Lexus IS-F vs. 2007 Audi RS4

Photo source: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

The Belgian government has suspended the operating license of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit for 17 years. Spa is, of course, the site of Formula One's Belgian Grand Prix.

The suspension is the result of a 2007 noise complaint from local residents. Spa's management were subsequently ordered to conduct an environmental impact study. The Belgian Council of State deemed their efforts in this regard "seriously inadequate and incomplete" and suspended the track's license until 2026.

Spa claims it has worked with residents to manage noise from the track since the 2007 complaint and is expected to challenge the ruling.

The Guardian

The V8 Camaros get all the attention and respect, but the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT V6 is a more interesting car than most of us realize, writes Mike Magrath, IL's vehicle testing assistant.

Equipped with a 304-hp version of GM's "High Feature" 3.6-liter V6 and a six-speed automatic transmission, it's quick enough that you can call it a sport coupe and mean it. What's more, its composure on the highway is impressive enough that you start imagining what Cadillac's CTS coupe might feel like.

Perhaps, then, the V6 Camaro is the car that might talk you out of a Hyundai Genesis Coupe?

Full Test: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT V6

Although the 2010 GMC Terrain is not the "Professional Grade" Division's first unit-body-type crossover model (that would be the Acadia), it's clean to say there's skepticism surrounding its launch. It comes with a four-cylinder engine after all.

Chiseled fender flares give it a more truck-like, less grocery-getter appearance than the Chevrolet Equinox or Saturn Vue, though. Apart from that, it's just a useful compact SUV. Its five-passenger cabin is spacious, and even with electric-assist power steering, the Terrain's handling is crisp.

And, we might even take the base four-cylinder engine over the optional V6.

First Drive: 2010 GMC Terrain

Ford wants you to know that its new 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8, slated for launch next year in the 2011 F-Series Super Duty and rated at 400 horsepower, is quieter than the current 6.4-liter diesel. So the company prefabricated this very short video of the two diesels idling. Unfortunately, the Ford engineer talks right over the 6.7-liter. Which is a good sign, we guess? Suggested ad copy: "Ford's New Power Stroke: Won't Interrupt Your Conversation."

In case you didn't realize Fiat was calling the shots now at Chrysler, Fiat announced late yesterday that Paolo Ferrero, Fiat's vice president of product engineering, will now head up the Chrysler Powertrain division. He effectively replaces Bob Lee, a favourite executive with engineering and MBA degrees, who is credited with the "resurrection" of the Hemi V8.

Chrysler said in statement that Ferrero will be "directly responsible for all powertrain activities for Chrysler Group, with a focus on technology-sharing with the Fiat Powertrain Technologies organization.

"Additionally, he will wage indirect oversight of powertrain manufacturing, testing, quality, and international operations while also ensuring strong integration and alignment with the Chrysler Group vehicle engineering organization and other supporting functions."

Likely, then, Ferrero will near toward the manufacture of Fiat's current range of four-cylinder engines at Chrysler's Dundee engine plant, writes Auto Observer's Bill Visnic, which has plenty of capacity now that Hyundai and Mitsubishi are officially out of the GEMA deal. The introduction of dual-clutch transmission technology is a strong possibility, too. It's unclear, though, what this development might mean for Chrysler's new Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 engine scheduled to launch next year in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Auto Observer: Fiat's Guy to Run Chrysler Powertrain; Hemi Future Cloudy

Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

We really like our long-term 2008 Ford Flex, but it has never had much going on in the acceleration department. For 2010, the long-awaited Ford EcoBoost V6 is an option for the Flex. And it's no understatement to say it makes a world of difference.

With this twin-turbocharged and direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 under its hood, the Flex shaves 2 full seconds off its quarter-mile time and has a 9-mph quicker trap speed. That's nothing short of amazing for a big, heavy, six-passenger crossover.

Full track test results for the 2010 Ford Flex SEL with EcoBoost after the jump, followed by track numbers for our long-term Flex, so you can compare the two.