Northstar 491 Echo Sounder Black Box Module on 2040-parts.com

Concept Car of the Week: Ford Synergy 2010 (1996)

In the early 1990s, the US government instigated the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles research program (PNGV). This brought Ford, GM and Chrysler together to collaborate in developing cars that could achieve up to 80mpg, and be ready to market by 2003. While working on the PNGV, in 1996 Ford introduced the Synergy 2010, featuring the firm's 'New Edge' design that debuted a year earlier with the GT90 concept.

Show Review: Art Center Car Classic 2007

For those of you who haven't yet attended, Art Center's Car Classic is rapidly becoming the talk of the concours circuit. Held during the middle of the summer trimester at the main Hillside campus in Pasadena, it was started just three years ago and is gaining quite a following not only because of its intimate setting in which to admire the cars but also because attendees rub shoulder-to-shoulder with a variety of current and past industry designers and celebrities. To this fellow automotive enthusiast and Art Center alumnus at least, the Car Classic likens itself most to Lord March's Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival in the UK.

BMW 5-Series GT introduces liftback model

BMW will bring the elevated seating and packaging of an SUV to its 5-series line with the addition of a liftback model called the Grand Turismo or, simply, GT. The automaker is now revealing the production look for the vehicle, which will debut at this fall's Frankfurt motor show after having been previewed as a concept car at the Geneva show in March. It will go on sale in the United States in December, priced in the low-$70,000s range.