2001 Toyota Corolla Automatic Transmission, 1.8l, 3 Speed, Fwd on 2040-parts.com

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.

Driverless 'pods' to hit Milton Keynes

DRIVERLESS cars will transport people through the streets of a British town in a £1.5 million project aimed at boosting green technology. From 2015 an initial batch of 20 driver-operated "pods", which will be able to carry two people, will be run on designated pathways separated from pedestrians in Milton Keynes. But by mid-2017 it is planned that 100 fully autonomous vehicles will run on pathways alongside people, using sensors to avoid collisions with obstacles.

Bloodhound SSC: behind the wheel inside 1000mph cockpit

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 13 June 2014 00:01 Want to know what it feels like to hit 1000mph? This is our first look inside the cockpit of the Bloodhound SSC, the new supersonic rocket challenger looking to set a new world land speed record. The Bloodhound SSC's cabin is cramped and looks more like the cockpit of a Eurofighter jet than a car.