1968-68 Mustang 390 Exhaust Manifold on 2040-parts.com

Mini auctions Kiss Countryman cars to fund global relief efforts

If Dad's Gene Simmons poster is starting to lose its luster, you should probably sign on to eBay to try to win him a custom-painted Mini forever emblazoned with that tongue. Mini and the rock bank Kiss partnered to auction four Countrymans (Countrymen?) that are custom-painted with the iconic likeness of each band member, in a 10-day Father's Day charity auction that started on May 29. Kiss band members joined Mini at the New York auto show in April to unveil the four vehicles now up for auction.

Scions at SEMA

On Tuesday, Scion unveiled the cars it will show on its stand at SEMA and, while we appreciate the efforts of the tC tuners in the Scion Tuner Challenge, we gotta admit the FR-S entries and another stretch limo xB really caught our editorial eye. Coolest car of the night was a tie between the Ken Gushi GReddy FR-S and the Bulletproof Automotive FR-S. We couldn't decide which we liked better.

CAR interviews Patrick le Quément on Renault design (2009)

By Richard Yarrow Motor Industry 29 April 2009 16:05 Patrick le Quément, 64, has steered Renault through one of its most interesting – some would say controversial – design phases in its history. Born in Marseilles but educated from the age of 12 in the UK, he speaks almost accentless English and agrees to talk to CAR on the eve of his retirement. Le Quément is one of those designers who’s achieved stellar recognition over the past two decades – matching the reputation of Chris Bangle and J Mays as a member of the design A-list, that exclusive club who’ve helped shape the modern motor car as we know it today.