Toyota Celica Gt Ta22 Front Grille Grill on 2040-parts.com

Redesigned 2013 Lexus LS offers new sheetmetal, safety features

Lexus Division unveiled its new LS 460 flagship luxury sedan that arrives in dealerships this fall, with standard and long-wheelbase editions, a hybrid version and a new F-Sport trim level with improved handling dynamics. Despite its sheet metal changes, the car is actually little changed underneath. Its 4.6-liter V8 engine and eight-speed transmission are basically carryover, at a time when luxury brands are using powertrain technology as a differentiating ploy.

Joel Piaskowski becomes Director of Exterior Design at Ford North America

Joel Piaskowski is set to become Ford's North American Director of Exterior Design. He will be filling the position previously vacated by Moray Callum, who was promoted to Executive Director for Ford Americas design when Peter Horbury went back to head up Volvo's design efforts earlier this year. "I'm very much looking forward to working with the team at Ford," Piaskowski told Car Design News.

Volkswagen shows off new 1.8-liter engine for Jetta, Passat, and Beetle

Volkswagen is rolling out a new 1.8-liter turbocharged and direct-injected TSI engine which will debut in the Jetta, Beetle, and Passat later this year. This thrifty new engine will replace the 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine now available in those models. But the 1.8-liter is no slouch: it produces the same 170 hp as the outgoing five-cylinder engine, while adding 7 lb-ft torque for a total of 184.