1996 Mazda 626 Outer Tail Light Lamp Right on 2040-parts.com

Hot seats: from design to delivery [sponsored]

As the user demands on car interiors are increasingly influenced by their growing design consciousness, so suppliers like Lear strive to bring better-engineered seating to satisfy. 2013 was another big year for Lear, as Jeanette Puig-Pey, its global fabric & leather design manager, enthuses: "At our ‘Design2Perform' event we celebrated the unveiling of our brand new collection, with special emphasis on color and texture and our TeXstyle Enhance product, perfect for customization. Laser etching is part of this offering, it is exclusive to Lear Corporation and can be used to add refined design elements to cloth and leather." A mix of fabric and leather in seating is not new but is often seen by the consumer as a cheaper alternative to full leather.

Ford offers C-Max Hybrid owners rebates for overstated mpg

In the wake of Ford's decision yesterday to lower its fuel mileage estimates on the C-Max hybrid, the company says it will also offer a payment to C-Max hybrid owners and lease holders for the estimated average fuel cost between the new and former mpg figures. Owners will get a check for $550 while lessees will get $325. The window sticker on the C-Max hybrid will now read 43 mpg, instead of the originally promised 47 mpg.

Art Center Car Classic '10: Rain, rain, drive away

Mark Vaughn Italian car fans got an up-close look at some of their favorites last weekend. A little rain drizzled over the ninth showing of the Art Center Car Classic in Pasadena, Calif., but that only served to weed out the weak. The true car lovers braved the wet and didn't let it dampen their spirits.