1963 Corvette Turn Signal Switch on 2040-parts.com

Akio Toyoda waves family flag, heir makes crisis personal challenge

The reclusive Akio Toyoda is taking the rare step of waving the family flag, as the scion to Toyota Motor Corp.’s founding dynasty tries to steer the world’s largest car company out of a spiraling safety crisis. In testimony prepared for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, President Toyoda pursues a rare personal tack on the emergency, saying “my name is on every car.” “As you well know, I am the grandson of the founder, and all the Toyota vehicles bear my name,” Toyoda says in prepared comments circulated ahead of Wednesday’s committee hearing in Washington. “For me, when the cars are damaged, it is as though I am as well.” The intimate reflection is a departure for Toyoda, who has spent most of his career sidestepping public discussion of his lineage.

EU new car CO2 targets pushed back

The European Union’s plans to cap new cars to 95g/km CO2 by 2020 has been delayed, after months of lobbying led by Germany. Instead, the 95g/km target will be introduced a year later in 2021, but with an additional amount of flexibility intended to make the transition easier – especially for luxury carmakers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which generally build bigger, heavier vehicles. Stricter CO2 rules will save drivers cash Top 10 most economical cars The new compromise, agreed on Tuesday (26 November 2013) and set to be presented to EU diplomats on Friday (29 November 2013), changes the rules on ‘supercredits’ – which allow manufacturers claim extra credit for especially low emissions cars, such as all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Audi Crosslane Coupe concept (2012) - the new Q2!

Audi showed off the new Crosslane Coupe concept car at the Paris motor show in 2012 - and it's basically the new Q2 in show-car drag. Ingolstadt may call it 'a hybrid study providing pointers to the design language of future Audi Q models,' but very senior execs told CAR it is the new Q2. Audi is preparing a raft even-numbered Q models which will provide a lower slung breed of crossover to the family-oriented Q3/Q5/Q7 set.