BMW 1 Series dead in US after 2013

With its successor set to bow at the Detroit Auto Show in a couple of months' time, word's come down from BMW that 2013 will indeed be the end of the line for the BMW 1 Series — at least in the US. It will remain available elsewhere in the world as a three-door and five-door hatch. The coupe and convertible, meanwhile, are being replaced by the 2 Series, in convention with BMW's new naming scheme.

Toyota Prius with added noise: The Prius Vehicle Proximity Notification

Prius Vehicle Proximity Notification We’d much rather see a hybrid car than an electric one, but with plug-in hybrids starting to proliferate more car makers are having to address the issue of silent running endangering blind – and distracted - pedestrians. Step forward the Toyota Prius Vehicle Proximity Notification System. The US Senate signed off the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act at the end of 2010, which requires the makers of cars with the ability to run silently to make them run noisily instead, completely negating about the only benefit there is for electric cars.

Dodge Dart

Dodge revived the iconic Dart nameplate for its new C-segment contender, unveiled at NAIAS 2012. While the Dart represents a new product, filling a gap in the market left by the Neon, it is effecively a rebodied Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The Dart's DRG features drawn-back lamp graphics that are combined with a large grille displaying the classic crosshair insert.