1963 Corvette Original Fuel Level Gauge on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: Packards -- Ask the man who knows way too much about one

-- For some light Wednesday reading, here's more information than you ever wanted to know about Packard. It includes the horrible neoclassics that plagued the 1970s, and the 1995 revival of the Packard name that attempted to stick a shortened rendition of the famous Packard grille in front of a 440-hp V12, all wrapped in a shape that looked like a melted Twix, as shown above. Our august associate editor Graham Kozak owns a Packard, so he could have filled us in on the details.

Rolls-Royce confirms new Wraith coupé for Geneva

Rolls-Royce will launch its new Wraith coupé model at this year's Geneva motor show, thought to be a dramatic fastback based on the Ghost. The carmaker's CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, announced the news this morning at the company's World Dealer Conference in London, claiming that the Wraith will have "the boldest design, the most dramatic performance" and be the most powerful model yet. The Wraith will shape the future of Rolls-Royce and build on the success of Ghost and Phantom.

Where is Nissan and Infiniti design headed? Just look at the lamps

For a glimpse at future styling trends from Nissan Motor Co., look to the headlamps on the Nissan Leaf electric car and the sculpted rear of the Infiniti M. Front and rear lamps raised from the body surface and pronounced spoilers are two tricks Nissan will use more often to improve the aerodynamics and handling of vehicles--in addition to giving them a futuristic flair, global design chief Shiro Nakamura says. The goal: Win young drivers and bring sales of models such as the Nissan Altima in line with Japanese rivals "The important thing is the front end and the rear end," Nakamura said during an April 12 interview at the company's main design studio south of Tokyo.