1997-2004 C5 Corvette Torque Tube, 6 Speed, Manual on 2040-parts.com

Future products: Bentley reskins Continentals, works on convertibles

Bentley's sales have plummeted as its cars aged and the economy fell into recession. The launch of the Mulsanne flagship this year is cause for optimism, as is the coming reskin of the Continental range, which was introduced in the United States in 2005. Bentley will begin rolling out the new versions of the Continental next year, starting with the GT coupe.

BMW-Toyota partnership may yield hybrid Z4, new Supra

The BMW-Toyota sports-car lash-up has been reported on for a couple of years now, but new information from a report in the U.K.'s Autocar sheds more light on the future of the BMW Z4 and what this year's Toyota FT-1 concept will ultimately herald. Like the current Z4, its predecessor and the Z3 before it, as well as every generation of Supra, the new platform will feature a front-mounted gasoline engine. From there, things look to be diverging wildly as technology marches forward.

Michelin Challenge Design 2007: The not so ugly truth about rising vehicle safety standards

Can cars be safe and beautiful at the same time? That may not have been the case a few decades ago when automakers were forced to hang those big, ugly so-called federal bumpers off the ends of their vehicles.  With vehicle safety standards on the rise around the globe are designers today feeling a little '70s deja vu when it comes to meeting the challenges of making cars safe as well as more fuel efficient? "(Back then) we said it was the end of automotive styling," says Patrick Le Quement, senior vice president for corporate design at Renault and one of the world's most influential automotive designers.