1957 Pontiac Hood. on 2040-parts.com

Autoweek contributor Patrick Paternie dead at age 65

Longtime Autoweek contributor Patrick C. Paternie, who shared his love of cars with readers for 12 years at this publication and for 25 years with other magazines and in his many books, died on March 10 at age 65. Paternie had just finished a race in his Porsche 911 at Willow Springs and pulled into his pit area when he suffered a heart attack.

VW Polo BlueMotion (2010) launched

Volkswagen has launched the 2010 VW Polo BlueMotion in the UK Yesterday we got the range-topping, hot-hatch goodness that is the VW Polo GTI. Today we go from one extreme to the other with the UK launch of the VW Polo BlueMotion, for those car buyers who value  economy over performance. As we’ve said before, the latest VW Polo is a great little car (although not so little any more) and feels more like a ‘little big car’ than just a little car.

CCS/GM E-Flex project

Cadillac V-Flex Evan Mai Evan Mai presented the Cadillac V-Flex, a mid-engine electric race car that uses GM's E-Flex platform in a new configuration and advances Cadillac's art & science design language.  The race inspired proportion and layout of the V-Flex draws heavily from Le Mans prototype and F1 cars. Power would come from an electric motor with a range extending internal combustion engine. The Li-ion battery placed in the bottom center of the vehicle could be swapped from underneath the car during pit stops. Aluminum heat sinks in the rear efficiently dissipate heat away from the motor and battery while performing as a rear spoiler.  The front grille serves to communicate the Cadillac design philosophy and also serves as a functional aerodynamic enhancement.