1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Steering Wheel on 2040-parts.com

Audi A1 e-tron Wankel range-extender EV trial begins

Audi A1 e-tron trial begins in Munich If car makers are going to foist electric cars on us, the least they can do is make them as useful as the limited technology permits. And that’s what Audi are doing with the A1 e-tron EV. The Audi A1 e-tron isn’t a daft BEV (battery electric vehicle) with a woeful range at the mercy of weather conditions, instead it’s a range extender EV with a small Wankel engine which kicks-in when the battery charge is used up to increase range.

Rent-an-Aventador: Exotic-car rental companies cater to client needs

For those who adore exotic sports cars but want to avoid the staggering depreciation, high maintenance costs and laughable insurance premiums required for ownership, there is a solution: exotic-car rental. At its new Los Angeles airport location, Black & White Car Rental recently displayed its latest acquisition, a Lamborghini LP-700-4 Aventador to be used in a fleet that includes Ferrari 458s, Mercedes-Benzes and even daily drivers such as the Toyota Camry. “Obviously this car isn't our bread and butter,” said Dan Darvish of Black & White.

Middlecott Sketchbattle Experiment crowns first Sketchmaster

College for Creative Studies (CCS) student Graham Wright has fought off competition from artists, illustrators, industrial, product and car designers to be declared the Sketchmaster of the Middlecott Sketchbattle Experiment 2014. Held at Detroit's Kunsthalle Museum of Contemporary Art, the contest – a self-styled fight club of design – carried the theme of lighting because of the museum's many neon and lighting installations. Before the event, design students from the area – mostly from the CCS and Lawrence Technological University (LTU) – were invited to submit early sketches before a shortlist was drawn up for the main event.