The good oil: Lawnmower antics

Don Wales, nephew of former world record speedster Donald Campbell, wants to set his own speed record - on a ride-on lawnmower. Wales will next weekend try to break the 130.8km/h time held by American Bob Cleveland. There are rules: the lawnmower must be able to cut grass. Wales' attempt is called "Project Runningblade" and it's at Pendine Sands, South Wales.

Super Porsche on the web

A grainy image has surfaced on the web of the new "widow-maker" - the RS (Rennsport) version of the Porsche GT2. It has been described as the most hardcore 911 ever and was taken at a private dealer event in Leipzig, Germany. The 3.6-litre flat-six in the standard GT2 delivers around 395kW and a top speed of 330km/h. The twin-turbocharged RS engine is said to produce 456kW and a top speed of 340km/h. The RS is apparently 90kg lighter than the GT2, meaning a zero to 100km/h sprint time of around 3 seconds.

Toyota's surprise profit

Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda has announced a surprise profit, a year after former top boss Katsuaki Watanabe apologised for the company's tardy response to the global financial crisis that plunged the Japanese giant to its first loss since 1950. The 2009-10 operating profit of $2.2 billion beat Toyota's own gloomy predictions of a year ago and marked a $9.2 billion turnaround in the fortunes of the world's number-one carmaker. Toyota still faces stiff headwinds, with class-action lawsuits pending in the United States and investigations by US authorities into the timing of recalls.

Mercedes innovation

Mercedes-Benz has turned to turbocharging, fuel-injection, and low-friction design for a downsized 4.7-litre V8 engine that cuts fuel consumption by 22 per cent and yet increases power by 12 per cent over the 5.5-litre engine it is set to replace. The carmaker has also announced a narrow-angle 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine that will make significantly more power and torque while delivering a 24 per cent fuel economy improvement over the existing unit.

Subaru named safest

Japan's New Car Assessment Programme (JNCAP) has named the 2010 Subaru Legacy as the country's safest car. The Legacy was the only vehicle out of 17 tested to receive the coveted top award. The Subaru Impreza won the award in 2007 and the Forester wagon in 2008. The Legacy was rated as the safest passenger car in the collision tests for driver and front passenger. It also achieved the highest rating in the pedestrian head protection test. This latest accolade for Legacy comes hot on the heels of many other international crash test achievements.

We are the world

Just before the jury in Michigan returned a guilty verdict on a traffic charge, defendant John Ridgeway opened a vial of oil, rubbed some on his hands and shook hands with court staff. Later, when a prosecutor, bailiff and policeman became ill, Ridgeway, 45, was arrested. He said the virgin olive oil had been blessed by a Colorado pastor, specifically to "cast evil" from government facilities. Dallas woman Krystal Gardner, 28, tossed her baby through the open window of her SUV in an attempt to stop a repossession agent driving off with it. The repo man stopped, got out - then fled on foot when Gardner's teenage brother emerged from the house firing a shotgun.

alastair.sloane@nzherald.co.nz