AutoBlog: Austin's F1 track gets laid out

:: Click to View Larger ::Here it is. Race promoter Tavo Hellmund has pulled back the sheets on the Austin formula one track, and the course looks damn impressive at first glance. The 3.4-mile course packs in 20 turns, a total change in elevation to 133 feet and a back straight that's a full three-quarters of a mile long.

What's more, the circuit is designed to promote passing for American fans with short attention spans thanks to plenty of long straights followed by tight, 45-degree turns. Hellmund said that the cars should be able to click off a 200 mph top speed, and will sail by the grand stands at 180 mph or more.

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AutoBlog: Report: Aston Martin Cygnet could come to the States

Aston Martin Cygnet We aren't quite sure why the Aston Martin Cygnet exists. What was once an economical Toyota iQ is now a fuel-sipping Aston Martin  (weird) with a lavish interior and a price tag that will make your heart skip a beat. We understand that vehicles like this work well in the congested, small-car-friendly cities of Europe, but it remains to be seen if microcars have a place here in the United States.

The Smart ForTwo has proved to be a flop in the States, though we'll chalk most of that up to its unimpressive fuel economy and downright awful driving dynamics.

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AutoBlog: Official: Chevrolet Volt production begins November 11

General Motors confirmed this morning that November 11, 2010 has been set as the official Job 1 date for the Chevrolet Volt. The news initially reported by Translogic  was verified to AutoblogGreen by GM spokesman Rob Peterson. November 2010 has always been the targeted production launch timing for the Volt, but a specific day couldn't be set until other development milestones were met.

Now that development and testing is virtually complete and certification testing is underway, production and customer deliveries will soon start unless there are any showstopping issues. Generally, dealer deliveries start about three to four weeks after Job 1, so those early models should be rolling off trucks and onto dealer lots in early December.

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AutoBlog: BBC loses court battle to block the Stig book

The Stig has taken another step toward shrugging off the shackles of the BBC. As you may recall, Top Gear's  tame racing driver recently locked horns with the Beeb after he made it clear he wanted to publish his memoirs. The show's producers found issue with text, saying that revealing his identity would not only be a disservice to the fans of the show, but that it would also violate the terms of his contract.

Thing is, a judge has struck down the BBC's injunction to keep The Stig from publishing his book. That means publisher HarperCollins can move forward on bringing the book to life without fear of any further legal action from the BBC.

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AutoBlog: Report: Next-gen boxer engine coming from Subaru this year

According to Automotive News, Subaru  is set to release a new, more fuel-efficient version of its boxer four-cylinder engine. The powerplant should be available in both 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter configurations and will be able to offer up a 10-percent boost in fuel economy over its predecessors. The report doesn't detail exactly how the engine goes about gaining its new found efficiency, but it does say the changes are the first significant revision of the company's boxer architecture in two decades.

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