Subaru Pleo 2001 Front Bumper Face [0110110] on 2040-parts.com

Factory Five Body Design Competition

Following in the footsteps of Local Motors, Factory Five is set to launch an open-sourced design contest to design its next car. Up until now, the Massachusetts-based company is famed for its Type '65 Shelby Cobra Coupe replicas and its GTM racecar. Teaming up with Grassroots Motorsports Magazine, Factory Five is now launching the design contest to design the bodywork for its latest project: a Subaru Impreza-engined, rear-wheel-drive two-seater that is expected to sell for under $9,000 in kit form, or $15,000 as a complete car.

Mazda3

These are the first images of the new Mazda3 sedan, set to make its public debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. This is the first complete redesign of the Mazda3 (known as Mazda Axela in Japan) since its introduction five years ago. Utlizing design cues first seen in its larger sibling, the Mazda6, the dynamic redesign adds an air of masculinity to the small Mazda3, a car which, according to the Japanese company, has 'had every element developed for heightened exhilaration'.

Toyota Hybrid-R Concept – a Yaris with 400bhp – teased for Frankfurt

The Toyota Hybrid-R Concept (pictured) is a 400bhp Yaris Hybrid heading for Frankfurt We’ve always believed that the best use for hybrid powertrains is to get extra performance without the penalty of increased fuel consumption. Toyota, on the other hand, have primarily used their impressive – if complicated and expensive – hybrid powertrains to yield improved economy and emissions from more prosaic cars like the Prius, Yaris and Auris. But now it looks like Toyota are ready to show us what hybrid technology can offer in the way of performance too, with a tease for what Toyota are calling the Hybrid-R Concept, which appears to be a Yaris with more than 400bhp on tap.