Nissan Bluebird 1999 Antenna [3561000] on 2040-parts.com

What the Future Holds, Nobody Knows

It's a testament to the talent, charisma and relative celebrity of Ian Callum, Derek Jenkins and Franz von Holzhausen - heads of Jaguar, Mazda and Tesla design, respectively - that they managed to captivate a crowd of industry insiders at the tail end of the Los Angeles Auto Show's second press-preview day. This despite being given a nebulous topic to discuss with a moderator who knew little about the subject. Dan Lyons, a technology columnist at Newsweek, oversaw the panel discussion that was to focus on "Tomorrow's Cars...Practical Transportation or Groundbreaking Design?" He asked only one question on that topic before digressing into a more general discourse on the design strategies of Jaguar, Mazda and Tesla.

Toyota says Prius plug-in gets 65 mpg

Toyota Priuses with plug-in hybrid technology are averaging 65 mpg in combined gasoline and electric-mode testing. "That is real-world driving," said Bill Reinert, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.'s national alternative-fuel vehicle manager. "I ask my guys to drive them as you drive your normal Prius." By comparison, the redesigned 2010 Prius, a parallel hybrid with nickel-metal hydride batteries, will have an estimated 50 mpg rating.

Elemental RP1 track-focused sports car revealed

The Elemental RP1 revealed ahead of Goodwood FoS At the beginning of the month we ran a tease from a new start-up car maker teasing their track-focused sports car – the Elemental RP1 – and now, ahead of its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this week, Elemental have done the full reveal of the RP1. Due to be ready to sell by this time next year, Elemental bravely proclaim the RP1 as previewing a new generation of world class British sports cars, and the spec does at least offer more than a hollow promise, fingers crossed and lots of hype. Based on a lightweight carbon and aluminium tub wrapped in body panels to fully enclose the underpinnings, has double wishbone suspension with inboard Eibach springs and Nitron dampers, 4-pot Caparo calipers and 17″ alloys.