1991 Pontiac Firebird Catalog on 2040-parts.com

SPD Workshop with Chris Bangle

Famed designer Chris Bangle will be hosting a four-day workshop at the Scuola Politecnica di Design (SPD) in Milan, Italy this summer, following on from last year's successful workshop series. The university has announced that it will be holding the workshops from 9 July to 15 July, revolving around a theme entitled: 'An Endeavor in Discontinuity: Exterior Car Design of the Future'. The workshop is billed as a unique design experience, which will allow participants from all over the world to work in close contact with one of the most innovative designers of the current scene.

Volvo debuts S60L for the Chinese market

If you've tried the Volvo S60, did you get the feeling that it might benefit from a little more legroom in the back? The first-generation S60 and the second-generation S60 are fine automobiles, but if there's one gripe we've heard from owners about their cars, it's that rear-seat legroom could be a tad more generous (on that one day of the year when they have more than two people in the car). For the 2014 model year, Volvo is introducing a long-wheelbase version of the sedan, dubbed the S60L, but it will be available only in the Chinese market where long-wheelbase sedans are "a thing." The S60L will have a wheelbase that is 3.1 inches longer than the standard model, for a total of 112.4 inches, all benefiting rear-seat passengers.

Automakers scrap diesel plans

Mainstream carmakers have put the brakes on nine diesel-powered vehicles that had been scheduled for 2010. Honda, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Nissan and Toyota have halted diesel programs because of spiraling costs and other problems. Financial problems halted the programs at some companies.