New Flosser Fuse, 7048030 on 2040-parts.com

Behind The Scenes: Hot Wheels Design Studio [w/Video]

Hot Wheels' vice president of design Felix Holst has spent some time chatting to Cool Hunting about the brand's design philosophy at its Design Studio at Mattel's headquarters in El Segundo, California, in a new video. According to Holst Hot Wheels has evolved from being focused on muscle cars and V8 engines to being all about technology as a reflection of the new generation they're designing for.  He explains the benefits of designing over 240 vehicles a year that aren't limited by rules and regulations, saying in a studio that's driven by pushing the boundaries, it's a question of just how wild they can get.  The video really captures not only the men's passion for their jobs but the fun they have doing it. Small wonder Holst says he'd never go back to car design, and reveals the studio is packed with qualified car designers who chose Hot Wheels over conventional jobs in the industry.  We also hear from Hot Wheels Car Maker's designer Julian Payne, who explains how the new Car Maker – which gives you the chance to mold your own custom Hot Wheels at home – works.

VW Scirocco & VW Passat CC get BlueMotion Technology

The VW Passat CC BlueMotion Technology - with added economy Volkswagen is busy rolling out its BlueMotion Technology models (as opposed to the ultimate eco version in the range, which is simply ‘BlueMotion’) across its range, yielding some pretty impressive CO2 and fuel savings in the process. Now it’s the turn of the VW Scirocco and VW Passat CC to get the BlueMotion Technology tweaking and fettling to yield the right numbers to keep the taxman at bay. And, just as they have with other VW BlueTechnology models, VW has managed to tease and cajole some pretty impressive numbers from both the Scirocco and Passat CC.

Concept Car of the Week: Autobianchi Runabout (1969)

The 850 was a very popular car for Fiat in the ‘60s, especially in its spider version with its cute design and compact proportions. When the time came to replace it, Fiat went back to Bertone, where chief designer Marcello Gandini was charged with designing its replacement. Not happy to simply recreate the 850, he began with a whole new layout by placing the engine directly in front of the rear axle for a mid-engined layout.