1987 Pontiac Firebird Formula Press Photo Brochure on 2040-parts.com

Interior Motives launches 2011 Design Awards

Registration for the ninth Interior Motives Student Design Awards has now opened. This is your chance to take part in one of the most important events on the design calendar, and to display your talent and fresh thinking to the world's top vehicle designers and automotive press. The theme of this year's competition is 'Back to Basics - Making Cars for People, Not Markets' and has been devised in collaboration with Volkswagen and Peugeot.

Toyota Prius wagon is roomier, heavier than its hatchback sibling

The new wagon-style Toyota Prius has entered production ahead of its global sales debut next month in Japan. And despite outward similarities with its hatchback predecessor, the newest member of the Prius family also gets noteworthy changes. At a preview and test drive for journalists in Japan, Toyota Motor Corp.

Listen: Upcoming Ford Focus ST to employ sound symposer

While BMW employs a digitally sanitized/perfected sound file to give M5 owners the proper sense of aggro urgency when motoring at pace, Porsche went a little more organic with its employment of a sound symposer to feed the 911's flat-six growl into the cabin of the extra-refined 991. Essentially, the sound symposer is an electrically controlled diaphragm in a tuned sound tube that brings the proper engine noises into the passenger compartment. It can be opened and closed by the car's onboard electronics to offer snarl when you want it and serenity when you don't.