1973 Oldsmobile Omega Frontbench Seat on 2040-parts.com

IIHS names safest cars for 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the safest cars for 2013, including 13 midsize sedans that qualify for a new “top safety pick+” designation. The designation is given to vehicles that earn “good” ratings for occupant protection in at least four of five tests, with no less than “acceptable” in the fifth test. A new test -- the small overlap test -- was added to assess how the vehicles perform during a front-corner collision with another vehicle or object, such as a utility pole.

Consumer Reports: No to Chevrolet SUV, Ford crossovers, MyFord Touch

Consumer Reports said Monday it will not recommend the Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers because of low scores in the magazine's tests, and panned Ford Motor Co.'s MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch technology. The magazine also said it will not recommend the Infiniti QX56, a V8 version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Porsche Cayenne. Those SUVs performed well in testing but were too new for the magazine to have adequate reliability data to recommend, it said.

Lotus evolves with moving art

WITH VIDEO -- With five new concepts dotting its stand at the Paris motor show, Lotus demonstrated that it knows a bit about metamorphosis. Now, the automaker has collaborated with French artist Gerard Rancinan and writer Caroline Gaudriault for a moving art display for a VIP event in Los Angeles. Rancinan specializes in art of the human form while Gaudriault is a journalist by trade who has worked in Japan, Australia and France.