Car Craft Summer Nationals next weekend

As the event's planners like to say, get ready for one big horsepower party.

The Car Craft Summer Nationals annual event is headed for the Minnesota State Fairgrounds next weekend, July 17 to 19. This event showcases more than 5,000 street machines and muscle cars and attracts more than 45,000 attendees. Hours for the show are:

Friday, July 17: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, July 18: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday, July 19: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Advance tickets are $8 for adults and children ages six to 12. A two-day pass is $16. Advance tickets and two-day passes are available through Familyevents.com. Tickets at the gate are $12 for adults and $8 for children. A three-day pass is $24 and is available at the gate. Sponsors for the event are: GM Performance Division, Cherry Bomb, Mobil 1, Royal Purple, QA1, 104 Octane and Tremec.

For more information, visit Carcraft.com or call 877-413-6515.

New Lexus hybrid

Lexus, Toyota's luxury division, continues to add to its hybrid vehicle lineup. As Motor Matters reports on its website, the latest introduction is the new 2010 HS 250h. It is expected to achieve EPA numbers of 35 miles per gallon in the city and 34 on the highway. Drivers can use the Eco mode in conjunction with a new hybrid system monitor plus eco-driving indicator to improve on these numbers in certain conditions. The expected fuel efficiency is more than 20 percent better than the most fuel-efficient model currently in the Lexus lineup, according to Lexus.