05 - 10 Honda Odyssey Keyless Entry Remote Oucg8d-399h-a on 2040-parts.com

Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon TI is spotted in metro Detroit

It's tough to say what a metro Detroit sighting of this manufacturer-plated Alfa Romeo 159 TI Sportwagon portends for the Italian automaker's long-anticipated return to the American market--probably nothing. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne's plan to bring Alfa Romeo back to the United States features the sporty, limited-edition 4C coupe, the subcompact MiTo and the midsize Giulia, but not the out-of-production 159. Still, a domestic sighting of a brand-new Alfa Romeo is a rare enough occurrence that we're happy to share these photos without further comment.

Hot seats: from design to delivery [sponsored]

As the user demands on car interiors are increasingly influenced by their growing design consciousness, so suppliers like Lear strive to bring better-engineered seating to satisfy. 2013 was another big year for Lear, as Jeanette Puig-Pey, its global fabric & leather design manager, enthuses: "At our ‘Design2Perform' event we celebrated the unveiling of our brand new collection, with special emphasis on color and texture and our TeXstyle Enhance product, perfect for customization. Laser etching is part of this offering, it is exclusive to Lear Corporation and can be used to add refined design elements to cloth and leather." A mix of fabric and leather in seating is not new but is often seen by the consumer as a cheaper alternative to full leather.

Renault TwinRun hot hatch concept (2013) first official pictures

Renault will show off this mid-engined supermini concept at the 2013 Monaco Grand prix race weekend. Called the TwinRun, the R5 Turbo-inspired creation is powered by a mid-mounted 3.5-litre V6, and will hit 155mph flat out. The TwinRun is the latest in a series of wacky Renault concept cars, following the Twizy RS F1 and Twin-Z supermini into the limelight.