2005 Gmc C4500 4x4 on 2040-parts.com

Breakeryard designs 'Woman-Proof' car

Breakeryard, the UK's network of national breakers, has designed a garish pink ‘Woman-Proof' concept car with the aim of making parking easier for ‘non-confident' female drivers. In an exercise with its tongue firmly in its cheek Breakeryard has not only designed, but also commissioned some mock-ups of a car to combat problems highlighted in a survey of 1,421 female drivers. ‘Peripheral visibility' was identified as a problem by 44 percent of respondents, so the concept has a bubble-top design to combat this, which would be framed by a reinforced structure for safety purposes.

A look at Toyota future products

Toyota has slipped behind competitors in drivetrain technology and now must play catch-up against the likes of Ford, Hyundai and Mazda. Much of Toyota's lag stems from engineering resources being diverted by the unintended acceleration crisis and other quality miscues in the past two years. Now expect Toyota to focus more on turbocharging and direct injection, and it may even bring a couple of diesels to the United States as part of midcycle changes.

Show Review: Milan Furniture Fair 2006

Located in one of Europe's most fashionable cities, the Italian design fair is in its 45th year, newly housed in 'Fieramilano' west of the city centre. That the venue effectively disperses crowds knotted on the underground says something about its size and the somewhat compromised transport infrastructure that has to handle the 200,000 show-goers that come in from across the world. Beneath architect Massimiliano Fuksas' sprawling structure nestle 24 considerable arenas, FTK Salon Satellite to the side.