1981 Yamaha Xj550 Maxim Starter Motor/oem on 2040-parts.com

Porsche Panamera facelift and S E-hybrid (2013) first pictures

For the Porsche Panamera's mid-life facelift, Stuttgart has tweaked the looks, added a long-wheelbase option, and upped the performance and economy of the hybrid version, thanks to a new plug-in capable powertrain. Read on for the full details of Porsche's monster Panamera refresh. What are the vital stats of the new Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid?

Lexus previews production NX compact crossover

Lexus has published a preview of the 2015 Lexus NX luxury compact crossover, scheduled to debut April 20 at the 2014 China auto show in Beijing. The upcoming Lexus NX is meant to battle the likes of the BMW X1, the Audi Q3, and the Mercedes-Benz GLA, and it was previewed earlier in concept form as the LF-NX. Lexus has once again gone from concept to production vehicle in record time, and if this teaser image is any indication, it has significantly toned town the design of the LF-NX concept -- no surprise there, though in this case it appears Lexus has ditched the angular design language almost entirely.

Honda Vezel crossover arrives at the Tokyo motor show

For the record, Vezel rhymes with "bezel," and it's the name of Honda's long suspected Fit-based crossover. Honda showed off the new Vezel hybrid model at the Tokyo motor show, though the production model set to launch in Japan in December will also be available with a straight-gasoline 1.5-liter direct-injected engine also. Other details are still slim, but the company did claim a "Sport Hybrid i-DCD" powertrain will get a stronger engine and most likely a dual-clutch transmission with integrated electric motor.