0-80802hbx Holley Ultra Xp Carburetor on 2040-parts.com

VW Beetle Dune at the Detroit auto show

Of all the production-leaning concept vehicles at the Detroit auto show, the Volkswagen Beetle Dune's the sort of flight of fancy nobody was looking for. Nissan's Sport Sedan heralds the look of the next Maxima, which will likely trickle down in some way to future Altimas, Sentras and Versas. It looks as if Nissan will put one of its techno-retro RWD IDx concepts into production.

Toyota Prius C (the new small City Prius) leaks out

Toyota Prius C Leak - scanned from a brochure Toyota are busy growing the Prius range in to a sub brand in all but name. We’ve got the regular Prius and the Toyota Prius+ (and Prius V and plug-in Prius), and now, following the concept reveal at Detroit, we get the Prius City Car – the Toyota Prius C. The Toyota Prius C has leaked out via a brochure scan from Japan and, although European specs may be a bit different, we get the first proper look at Toyota’s baby Prius.

Center stack is new high-stakes battleground; showdown with safety regulators looms

For auto suppliers and gadget companies eager to get a piece of the auto industry, the hottest chunk of vehicle real estate now is the center stack. That corridor of interior space, running from the driver's right hip up through the center of the cockpit to the bottom of the windshield, has become a California gold rush of opportunity. But it is less so for traditional suppliers of molded plastics, cables, levers, buttons and radios.