Monroe 801941 Front Monroe Matic Plus Strut on 2040-parts.com

This is the 2013 Mazda6 – a bit at a time

The first photos of the 2013 Mazda6 have been released showing the Takeri concept inspired Mazda6 before its Moscow Motor Show debut. The 2013 Mazda 6 has been teased by Mazda in a series of short videos (although they were all so pointless we only ran the first one) and now Mazda has released the first official photos of the new Mazda6 ahead of its debut next month at the Moscow Motor Show. But for whatever reason, Mazda seems intent on still hiding the new Mazda6 from proper scrutiny ahead of its Moscow debut; not a single photo of the whole car, just four bits.

BMW Vision ConnectedDrive (2011) first pictures

This gorgeous two-seat roadster is the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive, set to be unveiled at the 2011 Geneva motor show. Unlike some of BMW’s other Vision-tagged concept cars, this unfortunately isn’t a thinly disguised production car, but a study designed to highlight the company’s driver assistance systems.  However, although BMW has released no details on the engine or layout under the sexy skin, thankfully the Vision ConnectedDrive’s stunning styling (including the shark nose, wrap-around rear lights and layered body) will find its way onto future production BMWs.  For a start sensors in the headlamps and rear lights monitor the traffic situation and the environment around the car, while instead of wing mirrors there are antennas that receive navigation data and transmit other information. Inside the driver has a 3D head-up display, and the system can project information about the chosen sat-nav route so it appears at the exact point of a possible turn-off. The 3D system also displays information in the foreground or background of the display depending on its relevance.

U.S. seeks 5 percent annual fuel-economy gains through 2016

The Obama administration today proposed gasoline mileage and greenhouse-gas pollution standards for new vehicles for model years 2012 to 2015, filling in the blanks for manufacturers en route to a 35.5 mpg national target in 2016. The Transportation Department and EPA proposal calls for fuel economy to increase by about 5 percent each year, starting from an average of 27.3 mpg for the 2011 model year, the agencies said in a statement. The average car buyer would save more than $3,000 in fuel costs over the life of a vehicle, the statement said.