2010-2014 Buick Lacrosse Headlamp (non-xenon) on 2040-parts.com

Design Contest: NDA wins 2009 LA Design Challenge

A future where environmentalists and car enthusiasts - not to mention sober-minded adults and thrill-seeking young people - all coexist in harmony just might be possible with Nissan's V2G concept vehicle. The hypothetical design study, which runs on a futuristic grid of electric roadways but can also be customized for 'off grid' joy riding, won the 2009 LA Auto Show Design Challenge for the way it embodies this year's 'Youthmobile 2030' theme. The focus was to create vehicles that would appeal to a generation of young drivers raised on cell phones and social media.

MINI Countryman Cooper S Diesel spied

The MINI Countryman Cooper S Diesel The prospect of a more powerful diesel for MINI has been around for a while. In fact it’s almost exactly a year since we brought you a spy photo of the MINI Cooper S Diesel which we reckoned would sport somewhere around 140bhp and a useful wodge of torque. Fast forward to August this year and we heard that MINI were taking the MINI Cooper S Diesel to the Paris Motor Show.

MPG or performance: It's a trade with turbos

Some automakers say turbochargers offer high fuel economy and quick acceleration, the best of both worlds. Well, yes and no. Turbocharged vehicles allow automakers to keep power output high while they downsize engines for better fuel economy.