Hobie 18 Jib Blocks & Slides on 2040-parts.com

Kia Soul: driving in Miami, Britney Spears encounters, more

In a sea of sameness, the 2010 Kia Soul stands out. Perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than Miami, a city filled with image-conscious denizens and head-turning sights on every corner. We got yet another test drive of the hot, five-passenger hatch in South Florida this week and it was an interesting few days, to say the least.

Brazilian students develop soapbox racers for Volkswagen

Brazilian design students have competed for year-long internships at Volkswagen's Brazilian design studio by designing – and racing – soapbox cars. Established 15 years ago by Volkswagen South America design director Luiz Veiga, the Volkswagen Design Talent Contest refreshed its format for 2013 by challenging students to develop a prototype for a gravity-powered soapbox racer instead of asking for sketch and render-based proposals. According to Veiga, Volkswagen was looking for someone "capable of working away from the desk and able to create design solutions, assess and build them".

Gemballa South African murder: man convicted

South African police have managed to arrest, try and convict a man for the brutal murder of Uwe Gemballa – all in the space of a day. Thaibiso Mpshe, 28, from Pretoria, was convicted for the murder or Gemballa, whose body was found in October 2010. He had been shot in the back of the head.