2001-2004 Toyota Sequoia Sr5 Fender W/o Flare L/h 2003 on 2040-parts.com

Chill out: coolest truck ever made of ice

Just as humans find it difficult getting out of bed on a cold morning, cars often don’t like starting when temperatures are below freezing. Not only is there more pressure on car batteries in the winter as we rely on them for heating and lighting, but they also struggle to hold their charge. So, in a bid to prove that their batteries are unbeatable in the cold, a Canadian company has built a pick-up truck out of ice.

Akio Toyoda waves family flag, heir makes crisis personal challenge

The reclusive Akio Toyoda is taking the rare step of waving the family flag, as the scion to Toyota Motor Corp.’s founding dynasty tries to steer the world’s largest car company out of a spiraling safety crisis. In testimony prepared for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, President Toyoda pursues a rare personal tack on the emergency, saying “my name is on every car.” “As you well know, I am the grandson of the founder, and all the Toyota vehicles bear my name,” Toyoda says in prepared comments circulated ahead of Wednesday’s committee hearing in Washington. “For me, when the cars are damaged, it is as though I am as well.” The intimate reflection is a departure for Toyoda, who has spent most of his career sidestepping public discussion of his lineage.

Chevrolet six-month global sales highest in a century

Chevrolet saw 2.35 million global sales in the first six months of 2011--its best first-half mark in 100 years. The automaker credits the success of new small-car models for much of the growth, namely the Cruze compact, the Spark minicar, the Aveo/Sonic small car and the Orlando MPV. Chevrolet sales increased 14 percent in the United States from the same half-year period in 2010, with 286,499 more units sold.