Corsa Captians Call Exhaust on 2040-parts.com

At GM, the tail fin is back--but now it's a blade

Tail fins are making a comeback at General Motors Co., although they are a far cry from the saillike appendages of the 1950s. And this time the company is calling them blades. The look, pioneered on the Chevrolet Volt to improve aerodynamics, will appear on other models to boost fuel economy, said Ed Welburn, GM's global design chief.

Join AutoWeek and Dutch Mandel for 2011 Mille Miglia coverage

To celebrate the now-annual enthusiast extravaganza more commonly known as the Mille Miglia 1000 in Italy, AutoWeek is getting quality time in a legendary German coupe: the Mercedes-Benz 300SL, commonly referred to simply as the Gullwing. Our own Dutch Mandel is on the road in the Italian countryside. Check out his live tweets, photo galleries, reporting and event history at the AutoWeek Mille Miglia 2011 page.

Interior Motives China Conference 2010: Day 2

Session 5: Color and Trim On the second day of the conference, Andreas Wlasak, Vice President of Industrial Design at Faurecia, opened proceedings by announcing that the company plans to open a design studio in Shanghai this year. "A design centre in Shanghai – a new place in China for 2010 – this is a commitment," he declared. Wlasak then asked what OEMs should look for in terms of visualizing the concept of ‘green' design inside the vehicle interior: "OEMs might look for 'visual' green – how can you make it visible that the vehicle is efficient and reducing CO2?" He believed real wood is one likely way of achieving this, as people want to feel natural surfaces, and he also envisaged translucent surfaces playing a key role in years to come.