Astro Nautics 10" Boat Dock Wheel 36 on 2040-parts.com

Video: Yasushi Nakamuta on Mazda 3's 'unique' design process

It may be leaden with PR-talk but this short presentation by Yasushi Nakamuta, Mazda's director of advanced design studio at the press unveiling of the new Mazda 3 in Melbourne is still worth a couple of minutes of your time. But while the 3 is undeniably attractive we can't help but feel that the 'unique' design process Nakamuta describes (which appears wholly conventional to us) has resulted in little more than a thoroughly normal product. Take a look for yourself at the video to your left.

Ford S-Max concept

Ford has released details of its S-Max concept ahead of its official debut at the Frankfurt motor show next month. Building on the success of the current-generation S-Max, the concept (surely more a pre-production show car than a true concept) continues the low, long and sporty twist on the SUV recipe that has made it such a hit in Europe. So it retains the monovolume outline with a soft transition from hood to windscreen and the tapered roofline.

New 2014 Corvette Stingray gets 29 mpg highway

Chevrolet has been dropping stats about its new Corvette every so often, and the latest to come down the pike are its fuel economy ratings. The Corvette Stingray's EPA estimated rating of 17 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway makes it 11 percent more fuel efficient than the previous Corvette. These ratings are for the Corvette equipped with the all new seven-speed manual transmission.