05 Pontiac G6 Valve Covers, Pair Left Right on 2040-parts.com

Center stack is new high-stakes battleground; showdown with safety regulators looms

For auto suppliers and gadget companies eager to get a piece of the auto industry, the hottest chunk of vehicle real estate now is the center stack. That corridor of interior space, running from the driver's right hip up through the center of the cockpit to the bottom of the windshield, has become a California gold rush of opportunity. But it is less so for traditional suppliers of molded plastics, cables, levers, buttons and radios.

Mazda Minagi (2011) at 2011 Geneva motor show

Mazda is preparing the ground to launch a new CX-5 – a junior crossover to slot beneath the CX-7. The Mazda Minagi concept car is being launched at this week’s 2011 Geneva motor show and previews the production car expected this autumn. But as well as heralding a new junior crossover in the Mazda fold, the Minagi also showcases the company’s new Skyactiv engineering philosophy and Kodo design mantra.

Peter Mullin makes extravagant donation to Art Center College of Design

Peter Mullin, the purveyor of the Art Deco-inspired Mullin Museum in Oxnard, California, knows a thing or two about good design, and about nurturing good design. His contributions to Art Center have included the Peter W. Mullin Endowed Scholarship, which since 2005 has provided worthy students with financial aid.