Triple X Jacobs Ladder 14in Sprint Car on 2040-parts.com

Design and Technology at Siggraph 2007

From 5-9 August, over 24000 artists, designers, research scientists, developers, filmmakers, and academics gathered in San Diego, California, for the 34th Siggraph Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. The Siggraph conference and exhibition ranges from several days of highly technical courses and academic paper presentations, through to hands-on demos of new technologies, an art gallery, computer animation festival, and the two-day exhibition by software and hardware vendors. Siggraph straddles the scientific, engineering and the artistic aspects of computer graphics and interaction, with film-makers showing how they made "Giant Frickin' Robots" for the upcoming Transformers movie, while the Papers presentations and Courses deal with the latest research, software evolution and hardware systems that make it all possible.

Ford Fiesta (2011) US Spec leaks

Pitures of what appears to be the 2011 US Spec Fiesta have leaked ahead of launch Ford have played a long game with the introduction to the US market of Europe’s favourite small car – the Ford Fiesta. They’ve run a very savvy social media campaign and had a whole heap of Fiestas running round the US in the hands of bloggers and other social media types – The Fiesta Movement – to get coverage for the Fiesta ahead of its launch at the LA Auto Show this week. But it looks like Ford in Canada have jumped the gun this afternoon and let loose pictures of the US spec Fiesta before its official reveal.

Chevrolet Sonic at the 2011 Detroit auto show

One of GM's numerous debuts at the 2011 Detroit auto show was this: the Chevrolet Sonic. Shown as a hatchback and four-door notchback, it's one of The General's weapons to tackle the now-globalised Ford Fiesta and its ilk. Good spot. That's because this is the US-spec Aveo - albeit shown in US-only notchback form as well as the more Euro-flavoured hatchback.