1956 Ford Fairlane 4 Barrel Intake Ecz-9425-a on 2040-parts.com

BMW i8 Concept (2011) first official pictures

This is the BMW i8 Concept, a near-production preview of Munich’s new plug-in hybrid supercar. Audi and Mercedes might have stolen a march on BMW with the R8 and SLS respectively, but while its rivals prepare limited-run electric versions of their supercars, BMW is putting this i8 into proper mass production in just two years time. The BMW i8, and its i3 EV sibling, will be revealed at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show in September. So this BMW i8 supercar is a plug-in hybrid?

Audi hosts student workshop in Design UNIverse

Audi has hosted a Design UNIverse event in Ingolstadt as part of its plan to support the next generation of automotive designers. 42 student designers from four European universities were challenged to create models of a futuristic Audi that embodies the idea of "Vorsprung Durch Technik" while working closely with designers and discussing trends and how to create emotional products. The students – from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava (Slovakia), Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan (Italy), the Offenbach University of Art and Design (Germany) and the Royal College of Art London (Great Britain) – created 46 different models.

Acura shifts focus to sensible Gen Y shoppers

Honda is ready to begin the makeover of its Acura premium brand this spring, and the timing could hardly be better. In addition to the new ILX small sedan and redesigned RDX compact crossover coming in spring, a tease of the redesigned RL flagship due this fall will be shown at the New York auto show in April. Then, the volume leading TL sedan and MDX mid-sized crossover are slated for 2013 redesigns.