1968 Mustang Fastback Coupe Convertible Sprint Orig Lh Dash Heater Control Panel on 2040-parts.com

What the Future Holds, Nobody Knows

It's a testament to the talent, charisma and relative celebrity of Ian Callum, Derek Jenkins and Franz von Holzhausen - heads of Jaguar, Mazda and Tesla design, respectively - that they managed to captivate a crowd of industry insiders at the tail end of the Los Angeles Auto Show's second press-preview day. This despite being given a nebulous topic to discuss with a moderator who knew little about the subject. Dan Lyons, a technology columnist at Newsweek, oversaw the panel discussion that was to focus on "Tomorrow's Cars...Practical Transportation or Groundbreaking Design?" He asked only one question on that topic before digressing into a more general discourse on the design strategies of Jaguar, Mazda and Tesla.

Chrysler eight-speed gearbox to boost big sedans' fuel economy

Chrysler Group says its new eight-speed automatic transmission will be the first offered on domestically produced automobiles and will boost fuel economy and cut emissions of the company's two full-sized, rear-drive sedans. The transmission initially will be available on 2012 Chrysler 300s and Dodge Chargers powered by Chrysler's 292-hp Pentastar V6 engine, the automaker said Thursday in a statement. The cars are being assembled and will start arriving in dealerships by Oct.

Ford Verve Sedan

Just as Mazda is exhibiting a sedan version of the 2 at Auto Guangzhou, the automaker's parent company, Ford, is revealing a sedan version of the Verve concept. The second in a series of concepts that will culminate with yet another variant set to be unveiled in Detroit, this 'notchback' provides further insight to the future small car design direction for Ford. Ford's European design team, which created the Verve concepts, applied Ford's kinetic design philosophy and built on the look of its hatchback sibling.