Yanmar O Ring 24321-000950 on 2040-parts.com

At GM, the tail fin is back--but now it's a blade

Tail fins are making a comeback at General Motors Co., although they are a far cry from the saillike appendages of the 1950s. And this time the company is calling them blades. The look, pioneered on the Chevrolet Volt to improve aerodynamics, will appear on other models to boost fuel economy, said Ed Welburn, GM's global design chief.

Concept Car of the Week: Renault Vel Satis (1998)

The approach to the design of top end models varies greatly depending on the manufacturer's heritage and the cultural differences of each country. It might be a conventional combination of wood and leather for some, power and technology for others, but it is generally packaged into a three-box four-door sedan or two-door fastback. Renault on the other hand had a much more cutting edge vision of what a luxury automobile could be.

Nissan pits GT-R vs. Leaf Nismo RC vs. Altima V8 Supercar

Nissan had a little fun at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, Australia earlier this month. For an exhibition, it pitted its Leaf Nismo RC versus its Nissan GT-R road car and the Nissan Altima V8 Supercar. Thankfully, the whole contest was recorded for posterity.