Opel Gt, 1971, Right Inside Door Handle on 2040-parts.com

Rolls Royce EX200 (RR4) about to surface

There’s been a whole heap of shots of the new baby Rolls, the RR4 as it’s known internally, and we featured some last month. To add to the mix, we’ve also grabbed an interior shot of the new Rolls, which we reckon will be known as the Rolls Royce Ghost or the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. But news has now arrived that Rolls Royce is actually planning on revealing the EX200 concept car at Geneva, which is pretty much what the new Rolls will be.

Toyota talks powertrain plans

After trailing many of its competitors in the recent engine- and transmission-technology wars, Toyota Motor Corp. will launch a swath of powertrains in the next several years, a top powertrain r&d executive said. Koei Saga, senior managing officer in charge of drivetrain r&d, said that Toyota is investing heavily in turbocharged engines, larger displacement Atkinson cycle engines, continuously variable and fixed-gear automatic transmissions, and new hybrid and fuel cell technologies.

Ford future products: New vehicles get lighter, faster and move upscale

Ford Motor Co.'s future-product focus is on improved fuel economy by making its vehicles smaller and engines lighter without sacrificing performance, safety or luxury. It also wants to push the Ford brand more upscale to capture customers orphaned by the shutdown of the Mercury brand, and to attract new buyers with more product offerings. Ford has said 90 percent of its North American nameplates will be available with direct-injection turbocharged EcoBoost engines as standard equipment or as an option by 2013.