1973 Chevy Rochester 2-barrel Carburetor Carb Core 7043114 Large Base on 2040-parts.com

Future products: Kia seeks lively, upscale look

Kia's redesigned Optima sedan and the Cadenza replacement for the Amanti, both due next year, reflect an emphasis on creating a livelier and more upscale look for the once-bland brand. Indeed, styling has been a crucial element of Kia's new-product push in the past 18 months. The team at Kia Design Center America near Los Angeles--part of the automaker's global design network led by onetime Audi design chief Peter Schreyer--has helped set the new styling direction.

Why official car CO2 emissions are a lie

Car CO2 Emissions - an even bigger lie than official economy figures Motorists buy cars based on, and are taxed on, their CO2 emissions. But the CO2 emissions are as big a lie as the official economy figures. We’ve banged on forever about official economy and emission figures and how misleading they are.

Driven: Ford Mondeo wagon

But the design of this Mondeo is interesting because of this, not despite this. The core challenge for the Ford design team was how to balance delivering a distinctively engaging design with being acceptable to as much as possible of the broad target profile of potential buyer. This is perhaps the biggest unspoken challenge for today's vehicle designer.