New Volkswagen Golf: World Car of the Year 2013

The VW Golf MK 7 has been declared World Car of the Year at the New York Auto Show, beating Porsche, Mercedes and Toyota to the title. That bunch included cars like the Porsche Boxster, Mercedes A Class and Toyota GT86, so competition was strong, but just as the new Golf had triumphed as European Car of the Year 2013 the Golf was also victorious on the bigger, global stage. It’s the fourth time in five years VW’s cars have nabbed the WCOTY award, with the Golf Mk 6 taking the gong in 2009, the VW Polo in 2010 and the VW Up!

Concept Car of the Week: Oldsmobile Aerotech (1987)

In late 1984, Oldsmobile management had so much confidence in the potential of its new inline four-cylinder engine Quad 4, that a small team was assigned to the creation of the Aerotech, a research vehicle designed to demonstrate the engine's performance by setting a new world speed record. Ed Welburn, then assistant chief designer, was mostly working on the 1988 Cutlass Supreme but his passion for race cars made him the ideal candidate to be handed the assignment by Oldsmobile 2 studio's chief David North. Inspired by Le Mans racers such as the Porsche 917LH and Jim Hall's Chaparrals, he designed a long, flowing car that immediately seduced design director Chuck Jordan and GM management.

Honda recalls CR-V to fix control-arm problem

Honda is recalling about 1,300 copies of the 2006 CR-V to inspect and possibly replace the right-front lower control arm. Honda says that the part could have been made with an improper welding process. Over time the control arm could break at the weld.