2007 Polaris Sportsman 500 Efi Atv Frame Chassis on 2040-parts.com

No sign of global auto meltdown at Tokyo Auto Salon

With more than 600 cars on display and a record number of exhibitors, nothing at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon tuner show hinted at the global economic downturn. As always, there was a great mix of styles, from hard-core, 1,000-hp, supertuned machinery to weird customized scooter tricycles. Auto manufacturers tried hard to capture the minds--if not the wallets--of the younger-than-30 crowd with customized versions of production cars, while tuners were busy persuading power junkies to choose them for their next engine modification.

BMW's yearlong Mini E trial exposes infrastructure problems

Early next decade, BMW of North America plans to sell an electric "megacity car" as a subbrand of BMW, similar to the brand's M high-performance cars. But further details are skimpy. BMW already is preparing for that launch.

Fiat Panda gets 2010 updates

Fiat has updated the Panda for 2010 Underrated though the Panda is, it’s actually a pretty good little car. Sure, it’s not exactly dynamic, but some of it’s iterations – particularly the go-anywhere Panda Cross 4×4 - are very good. So Fiat has decided it’s time for a bit of spit and polish and some new make-up, so it’s given the Panda a bit of an update for 2010.