1968 Chevy Camaro Firebird Turn Signal Switch Wiring Harness Plug 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.

Marcello Gandini laments today's 'fake' concepts

Marcello Gandini has branded current concept cars fakes and "little more than maquettes" in an interview about Bertone's extensive concept car history. The enigmatic designer, whose work with the design house stretches back to the late ‘60s, expressed his dislike of today's "fiberglass cars" and claims they can't hold a candle to the well-built concepts of old. He praises Nuccio Bertone's vision and his insistence on producing fully working, "almost driveable" concepts throughout the coachbuilder's existence.

Honda unveils supercharged CR-Z, 2014 Civic Coupe at SEMA

Hard to tell, but the supercharged tomato you see above represents a fundamental shift within Honda: it is the first car from Honda Performance Development with parts that actually make your car go faster. Honda Performance Development: "We're not just body kits and lowering springs anymore!" After two decades in actual racing development, perhaps it was time. HPD has built engines and chassis for IndyCar, American Le Mans Prototypes, Formula Atlantic, and the Continental Sports Car Challenge.