Chevrolet Volt garage fire

The cars were a brand-new 2011 Chevrolet Volt with just 2,000 miles on the odometer and a converted all-electric Suzuki Samurai that the homeowner, Storm Connors, converted himself years ago. At this early stage, it is impossible to tell if one or the other vehicles was the cause of the blaze – or if it was one of the charging systems or the garage's electrical system – but firemen who responded to the 911 call said that this is one angle that the investigators will look in to. Local news channel WTNH reports that Connors, "likes his cars too much to think having them charging in the garage started the fire." Another news channel, WFSB, says that, "fire officials suspect an electric hybrid car may have sparked" the blaze.You can watch a video news report of the aftermath after the jump. Interestingly, Connors himself has commented on AutoblogGreen stories in the past, so our thoughts go out to a reader who is dealing with a terrible loss. Hat tip to Pete!

Chevy Cruze 2LT

Chevy Cruze 2LT Rather than take yet another kick at the compact can, GM has effectively abdicated development of their newest small car, the Chevrolet Cruze, to other divisions across the globe, most notably Opel and GM Daewoo Auto Technology Company (yes, that Daewoo). Built in 8 factories (located everywhere from Australia to Kazakhstan) and sold in over 60 countries, the Cruze has to satisfy a dizzying set of demands, serving everyone from affluent North Americans who may buy the car for their adult children, to overtaxed Europeans who will pay incredible sums for what they consider a “family car.”

The North American launch of the Chevy Cruze 2LT was delayed by about a year, but the Cruze ended up arriving here at the best possible time – the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra are all long in the tooth and due for a re-design. The new Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus are only now hitting dealers, and cars like the Suzuki SX4 are on the radar of almost nobody. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Chevy Cruze 2LT has the upper hand in a segment devoid of new product – but that means that GM won’t be able to blame anyone else should the Cruze suddenly stall in the marketplace.

Rolls-Royce Ghost Diva edition by Fenice Milano

Between the gallons of chrome and the Spirit of Ecstasy protruding from its prominent grille, the contemporary offerings from Rolls-Royce have become a favorite among the bling crowd. But there are always those looking for something more outlandish. We thought Mansory had them covered with their take on the Ghost, but even that's looking subdued in comparison to Fenice Milano's Diva.
Decked out in more gold than an aging Mediterranean playboy's neck, the Diva edition takes the borderline tasteful way over the top. The hood, grille, side sills and mirrors have all been coated in 24-karat gold, as has the interior, along with custom teak, leather and Alcantara trim. It's enough to make Liberace spin in his grave, and if you're wearing your gold D&G sunglasses, you can check it out for yourself in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.

Rahal poised to make series return as sub for injured Conway

Graham Rahal looks set to return to the Izod IndyCar Series for the upcoming race at Iowa Speedway on June 20.

The 21-year-old son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal is negotiating with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing to become the latest--and perhaps last--replacement for Mike Conway.

Conway was injured on the next to last lap of the Indianapolis 500 when his car flew into the catch fence in turn three after running over the left-side wheels of Ryan Hunter-Reay, whose car had slowed dramatically as it ran out of fuel.

Conway is expected to miss the rest of the season as his fractured back heals without surgery. He has had one surgery and a procedure on his lower left leg that was fractured in the crash. He was released from an Indianapolis hospital June 4 and is expected to return to his U.K. home later this week.

Rahal drove for his father’s team, Rahal Letterman Racing, at Indy, finishing 12th after starting seventh. He spent three pre-Indy races with Sarah Fisher Racing, finishing ninth in the race in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Tomas Scheckter drove Conway’s No. 24 car last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, where he finished 13th.