Flash.(Briefs)

Quashing a rumor

Attention, NSX fans: Despite what many have heard, you won't have to rush out and stock up on the remaining inventory before the next model bows. Suggestions that Acura's next-generation supercar will have a hybrid powertrain are unfounded. Hybrid systems-even those tuned for performance-still can't provide the kind of constant acceleration most sports car drivers crave. And hybrid systems continue to pose a weight problem. Acura's sports car will remain gas-powered only. Expect something like a 3.5-liter V6 with 300-plus horses, sequential shifting, six-pot Brembos and other performance goodies.

World's fastest

NASCAR driver Brendan Gaughan piloted a stock Dodge Ram SRT-10 off the Saltillo, Mexico, assembly line into the Guinness Book of World Records as the "World's Fastest Production Pickup Truck.'' The truck, which was not modified in any way for additional power or enhanced aerodynamics, posted a two-lap, both-directions average speed of 154.587 mph over a "flying kilometer'' on the 4.71-mile oval at the DaimlerChrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Michigan, on Feb. 2. The record run was certified by Guinness World Records and the Sports Car Club of America. The previous record was 147.54 mph, set last July by the Ford SVT F-150 Lightning, before the Ram SRT-10 went into production.

Wrangling for a bigger Wrangler

Pricing for the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, a mid-2004 model with a 15-inch-longer body, 10-inch-longer wheelbase and 13 inches of extra cargo space, will start at $24,995 (including ...