Kt 76c on 2040-parts.com

Europe's Car of the Year 2011 shortlist announced

The 41 contenders for Europe's 2011 Car of the Year trophy have been whittled down to the final seven as the European CoTY shortlist is announced today. The winner will be voted for by 59 of Europe's most influential motoring journalists, including two CAR writers: editor Phil McNamara and European editor Georg Kacher. The 2010 winner - by just 10 points ahead of the Toyota iQ - was the Volkswagen Polo. Like the Eurovision Song Contest, Car of the Year has proved controversial in the past with accusations of block-voting and blind patriotism, yet the award remains one of the most prestigious in the motor industry.

1975 JC Whitney catalog: A bonanza of aftermarket Volkswagen goodies

Back before there was the Internet, or even big car-parts chain stores, there was the JC Whitney catalog. Printed on cheap, pulpy paper and featuring tens of thousands of tiny, hand-drawn illustrations, these thick books gave me many hours of enjoyment in the early 1980s, as I fantasized about how I'd modify my incredibly sketchy and hooptified '58 Beetle. Now I've picked up a 1975 JC Whitney catalog, and the Volkswagen section is even better than I remembered!

Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis Concept: 2013 Detroit Auto Show

The Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis Concept has been revealed at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, previewing the next generation of Hyundai’s premium offerings. Hyundai has now revealed the HCD-14 Genesis Concept in Detroit and there’s little doubt that this is the next Hyundai Genesis, albeit with a chunk of concept fripperies thrown in to titillate. Concept fripperies like the rear suicide doors and enormous carbon fibre wheels seem likely to be lost in the production version of the new Genesis (although Hyundai may surprise us) but it seems likely that the overall styling will come through, just as it has on many of Hyundai’s recent concepts (unless Peter Schreyer has a play now he’s in charge of Hyundai design).