2011 2012 Kia Optima Front License Plate Bracket New Oem on 2040-parts.com

The Hidden Work of Design Consultancies

Most major car companies carry out most of their design work themselves, with dedicated design departments increasingly capable of handling every aspect of the design process. But few car companies do not use the services of external car design consultancies for some smaller projects, and many smaller car companies use such consultancies to supplement their more limited in-house design facilities on larger design projects. Throughout the world there are numerous companies offering these design services to car companies.

Mazda RX-8 – Just a few left

The Mazda RX-8 - fewer than 100 RHD cars left In an email that looked suspiciously like a warning from QVC that their latest pitched offering really is being gobbled up quickly, and you’ll have to pick up the phone NOW to secure their latest life-changing bit of tat, Mazda inform us that stocks of the Mazda RX-8 are down to the last knockings. We reported a bit back that the RX-8 was to make its way to the great scrapyard in the sky, another victim of the increasingly strict Euro emissions regulations - Euro 5 coming in to play in January 2011. So although the RX-8 will continue for now in some parts of the world,  production in Hiroshima has ended for the UK and Europe.

How Lexus execs rescued the GS sedan

Eighteen months ago, Toyota had all but scrapped its plans for the redesigned Lexus GS 350 sedan that was unveiled in Monterey, Calif., last week. At the time, the company was pouring engineering resources into resolving its unintended acceleration crisis and was busy changing quality and safety procedures. Plus, the GS' underwhelming sales in the United States and Europe made for a weak business case against the Mercedes E-class and BMW 5-series.