Starting with a bone-stock SS, Hennessey has tossed out the 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine in favor of a 7.0-liter LSX mill equipped with forged low compression pistons, forged steel connecting rods, a forged steel crankshaft and ported heads. Built in-house by Hennessey, the engine is fully balanced and blueprinted.

The eight cylinders are fed by a thoroughly upgraded fuel injection system and two large turbochargers cooled by a pair of air-to-air intercoolers.

Power is transferred to the rear wheels via either a strengthened version of the SS’ six-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual unit built in-house.

Billed as the successor to the well-regarded 1-Series M, the M2 will gain a full body kit inspired by the track-only M235i Racing (pictured) that was unveiled recently. Expect a highly-sculpted front bumper, a buldged hood, fender flares, side skirts and a trunk-mounted spoiler to be part of the package. An air diffuser with four exhaust tips will complete the muscular look.

BMW will tap into its carbon fiber expertise in order to lower the car’s weight and improve efficiency, agility and performance. Although the M2 will unmistakably look like a member of the 2-Series family when viewed from the outside, it will ride on a heavily-modified chassis packed with technology gleaned from the recently-launched M3/M4 duo.

Staying in line with the rest of BMW’s M-badged lineup, the M2 will boast a sport-focused interior with bucket seats for the front passengers, a M-specific instrument cluster, a sport steering wheel and available carbon fiber trim on the dashboard.

Official technical details are not available but rumors indicate the M2 will be powered by a twin-turbocharged variant of the 3.0-liter straight-six found under the hood of the M235i. The turbo-six will reportedly send anywhere between 365 and 375 horsepower to the rear wheels via either an eight-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual unit, enabling the M2 to reach 60 mph from a stop in a little over four seconds.

All models regardless of transmission type will come standard with an electronic limited-slip differential.

Jason Humphreys wanted to take action in his quest to stop drivers from talking on their cellphones while driving, so he obtained a jammer to block the airwaves around his SUV during a daily commute on Interstate 4 between Tampa and Seffner.

He appears to have successfully blocked cellphone communications around his vehicle for 16 to 24 months until the Federal Communications Commission caught on.

The agency last year received a complaint from Metro PCS noting persistent interference along the I-4 corridor, coinciding with the morning and evening commute times. Investigators were dispatched to the area with directional antennas, identifying a blue Highlander from which strong signals emanated.

Talking on cellphones while driving is not illegal in Florida, however using or importing cellphone signal jammers is a violation of federal law. The FCC nots that jammers pose a safety threat by “precluding the use of cell phones to reach life-saving 9-1-1 services provided by police, ambulance, and fire departments.”

The agency has proposed the $48,000 fine as a punishment, though laws allow for fines of up to $116,000 for any single act that carries on for multiple days. Violators can also face additional criminal penalties, including imprisonment.

With its nine-speed automatic transmission and slippery 0.27 coefficient of drag, the 2015 Chrysler 200 was clearly designed with fuel efficiency in mind, but one mileage-boosting element that’s currently unavailable on the midsize sedan is stop-start technology.

It appears that won’t be the case for long, though, as an anonymous Chrysler source has revealed to Edmunds that a stop-start system will be available on the 200 starting in September.

It’s uncertain whether the stop-start tech, which saves fuel by shutting off the engine when the car is stationary and would otherwise be idling, will be standard or optional, and if it will be offered on one or both of the 200′s engine options.

How much it will improve the sedan’s fuel economy is likewise unknown.

At present, the 200 is rated at 23/36 city/highway mpg with its standard 184-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder. The 290-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 model returns 19/32 mpg in front-wheel-drive form and 18/29 mpg with optional all-wheel-drive.

Segment economy leaders include the Nissan Altima (27/38 mpg) and Mazda Mazda6 (28/40 mpg with i-eloop).

Approximately 100 engineers and technicians from GM’s race engineering center in Wixom, Michigan, will be relocated to the new 138,000-sq-ft facility in Pontiac. Another 300 workers from other remote locations will also be consolidated on the campus.

The racing-focused team will be sharing the facility with transmission engineers and specialists focused on electric motors and batteries for GM’s next-generation hybrids and EVs.

“The electric motor lab produces prototype electric motors and validates manufacturing processes used in the production of electric and hybrid vehicle motors,” GM notes. “The gear center supports design, manufacturing processes, inspection techniques and testing of gears used primarily in the next generation of GM transmissions”

The construction project is part of a $200 million plan to restructure the powertrain development operations. The company hopes its Performance and Racing Center will be finished and occupied by engineers sometime in mid 2015.