A version of Subaru’s venerable horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder will be available as a turbocharged diesel for certain 2009 Legacy models. This marks the world’s first boxer-configured diesel as well as the first in-house diesel motor developed by Subaru. The punchy powerhouse will be putting out a very respectable 258 lb ft of torque, while still getting over 40 miles per gallon. And you still get Subaru’s awesome AWD drivetrain. The only thing left is to convince them to bring it to the US. Get the full press release at CarScoop.

Chevy is releasing a limited run of 1:32 scale die-cast Volts, I guess to tide over the doubters who are starting to think they’re never going to get to buy a life-sized version. Only 7,500 of the little Volts will be released by die-cast manufacturer Bburago, and are avaiable for purchase only at GM’s official site. Get yours! Via CarScoop.

If you’re looking for classic French-car charm without the accompanying reliability headaches and parts obsolescence, Japanese boutique tuner DAMD has just the conversion for you: an updated Renault 4L replica built on the Suzuki Lapin. The styling cues borrowed from the classic 4L, which was produced from 1961-1994, are spot-on, right down to the chrome center caps and the square grille/round headlight combo. The interior is sufficiently modernized, but with retro touches like the Alice-in-Wonderland upholstry. CarScoop says this sweet conversion was being shown off at the Tokyo Auto Salon.

I’ve spent the better part of two days looking for a photo to go with this story, and I’ve officially given up. Some dude in Australia was waving at girls from a car when a passing truck ripped off his arm. The lesson?  Ogling women from cars isn’t just rude, it’s dangerous. Here’s the news:

• One thing which never changes? People love to complain. These dorks are actually whining about not getting free Hot Wheels cars at NAIAS. Cry me a river: Mlive
• Bike builder Jesse James is more concerned about being fined for violating California’s emissions laws than he is about the environment. Big surprise: Auto Week
• Enterprise, National and Alamo are going to start selling carbon credits to folks who rent their cars. It’s a neat idea, but will anyone pony up? Automotive News
• Stunt driver Terry Grant just set a Guinness Record for tightest j-turn. Yup, there’s a record for everything. Check out the video: Car Scoop
• Tata isn’t totally sold on the Jag/Land Rover deal yet. Apparently they want Ford to sweeten the pot with some engineering talent: Detroit News

I haven’t worked a full week in over a month, and the grind is already started to wear on me. Well, at least I got a flat on the way in to the office. Here’s the news:

• Want to get your hands on a GTR before it officially hits your shores? Good luck. Nissan is threatening gray market entrepreneurs with legal action: Auto Express
• Hot Wheels is planning a cross country blitz to celebrate its 40th anniversary. You can’t blame them—can any other company claim to have sold four billion cars? Auto Week
• This year, F1 cars will be hitting the grid without traction control, and some drivers are predicting more accidents: BBC News
• Upon release, Aston Martin’s new Rapide sedan will be going head-to-head against Maser’s sexy  Quattroporte and Porsche’s dreadful Panamera. How will it do? From the looks of these pics, jolly well indeed: Car Scoop
• So just who is legitimate media anyway? That’s the question the brass at NAIAS are asking. Here’s a tip: if you write a blog about beer and cheese, it’s not you: Detroit News

Toyota is at the forefront of helping old people drive. I don’t know if they should be commended or condemned for this (see what I did there?). Also, should Oldsmobile be worried about Toyota poaching their talent?

• Mazda is taking notice of Scion’s success and might be taking a page from their playbook. Here’s the problem—they might build a crossover based on the Miata. I’m all about the Zoom-Zoom but I’m not in love with the idea: Winding Road
• Once again, a brilliant answer to congested roads come straight from Russia. Don’t worry about the lack of airbags, there’s no way you’d survive a crash anyway: English Russia
• Because I know you love the Mazda, here’s info on the new Mazda concept that I do like: Carscoop
• The new Nissan GT-R is going to be really, really quick: Edmunds

Well, Jason seems to be "too busy" to bring you guys the news, so I’m stepping in until his schedule clears.  He’s saying something about having to save the world… or his job, I dunno, one or the other. On to the News:

• Seems the kids at the UAW and Chrysler just can’t seem to play nicely. It’s reported the 4-year contract hit a few snags as four plants have now rejected the current version. Un-cool, guys. I hope this doesn’t delay my Jeep Compass delivery. (Detroit News)
• Mugen, Honda’s official factory tuning house, got their hands on the Honda Fit. They now offer some great aero parts and basic bolt-ons that make this green machine a much more aggressive little street monster.. Well, ok maybe more of a Muppet than a monster. (Carscoop)
• F1 finished the season with Kimi Raikkonen stepping into the World Champion title after Lewis Hamilton couldn’t quite cut it in Brazil. (Autoexpress UK)
• One of my personal favorite race teams is pulling out. Cadillac has decided this will be the last year for the CTS-V team, citing a need to focus on the their luxury market without racing. If it wasn’t for the success of CTS-V race team, I don’t think I’d even have noticed this bad-boy BMW-fighter!(Autoweek)