Swedes on Speed: TheCarConnection.com Tests the 300-hp Volvo S60R; Also Jaguar's Updated XKR; All Show, No Go, the World's Worst Muscle Cars; Spy Shots of Mazda3; and the Latest On How Falling Crude Oil Prices Will Affect What You Pay at the Pump

DETROIT, March 31 -- Say "Volvo," and you're likely to think "safety." But the Swedish automaker wants you to think again, and when it comes to the all-new, 300-hp S60R, the emphasis is on speed. TheCarConnection.com takes Volvo's high-performance sedan for a test drive this week.

Then catch word on Volvo's first sports car in decades as it redefines and expands its brand.

They're all show, no go, paper tiger muscle cars: a stripe and decal job that's slow and gets bad gas mileage, too. Check out the world's worst muscle cars, this week on TCC.

Oil prices are easing up -- a little -- while America fights abroad. But how long will pump prices stay high? TheCarConnection.com takes a look at the falling price of crude and what that will mean for what you pay.

War and the run-up in fuel prices has renewed interest in improving fuel economy -- or eliminating the internal combustion engine entirely. See what California regulators have in mind as they vote to maintain battery-car mandates.

In other business news, car sales are tumbling as potential buyers suffer CNN syndrome, and that means General Motors will be upping the incentive ante to get folks back into the showroom. You'll also find word on the new deal in the works for GM's Hughes subsidiary, and its DirecTV operations.

Other reviews this week include the latest update of the Acura MDX and Ford's better-than-you-might-remember Taurus wagon. And TCC's spy photographers have captured pics of the all-new Mazda3. Is this a new approach to making small cars?

As the weather warms, it's time to get your car ready for Spring. Get some tips from TCC. And find out how not to make things worse for your mechanic -- and you. For all your maintenance needs, get answers from our OnSite Mechanic.

You'll also find tips for picking the right roadside assistance program.

Stay on top of the latest news, trends, tips and bargains with TheCarConnection's free newsletters: Daily Edition for the industry insider, and Weekly Car Guide for smart consumers.

You'll find Kelley Blue Book pricing, weekly racing results, TCC's OnSite Mechanic and more -- on the Web's Automotive Authority, TheCarConnection.com .

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