Vintage Hurst 4 Speed Shifter T Handle Knob on 2040-parts.com

Toyota Prius points the way to design future

For a glimpse of Toyota's future design trends, check out the Prius. The third generation, debuting Monday in Japan, stays true to the line's role as a vanguard of futuristic styling and sports many new elements that will be popping up soon in other models. Chief among these are the sharply creased corners, the forward placement of the Toyota badge, a lowered grille and styling that Toyota's global design chief Wahei Hirai calls "free-form geometrics." The goal was to create an avant-garde, high-tech look that also screams green.

Renault Pitches Affordable Self-Driving Technology

RENAULT is the latest company to dip its toe into the waters of self-driving car technology. Pitching its contribution as a way of combating tiredness and stress plus allowing drivers to multitask and let the car take the strain, the French firm is looking to 2020 as the year when its bold vision could become a reality. There is a catch though, as Renault’s vision of an autonomous driving future centres around the provision of ‘protected’ roads devoid of pedestrians or other hazards to make the reality of hands off driving possible.

New Ford Focus ST at Goodwood Festival of Speed – and a diesel version too (video)

The new Ford Focus ST teased The facelift for the Ford ST facelift has started, with Ford releasing a single image (above) of the new ST which will be on show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this week, taking to the Goodwood Hillclimb in the ‘First Glance’ category. The basic facelift fodder for the new ST is what we saw earlier this year when the rest of the Focus range got a facelift, with a few new panels, bumpers, grill and lights marking out the old from the new. Ford is being coy about any power updates for the new ST, but it seems likely it will stick with the same 247bhp 2.0 litre as the current model and the same output.