2013 Kawasaki 636 Rear Wheel on 2040-parts.com

Euro NCAP tests for C4, Swift, CR-Z and iX35

The results from the latest round of Euro NCAP crash tests are in, and - surprise, surprise - every car tested came away with a maximum five-star safety rating. The new Citroen C4, Suzuki Swift, Honda CR-Z hybrid and Hyundai iX35 were all put through their paces, and each passed with flying colours. The latest results, while highlighting how far car safety has come in recent years (remember the notorious Rover 100 fiasco of 1997?), are bound to reignite the growing debate that the tests - or at least the marks awarded - need to show more differentiation between models.

Designer insights: highlights of Auto Design Prague 2014

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, might not seem the most obvious choice for an automotive design conference. But when one considers the country's history of innovation in the arts and architecture, its long-lived automotive marques like Tatra and Skoda, and Prague's central location in Europe, it makes perfect sense. Conference speakers included the program design director for Citroën DS, Ivo Groen; Volvo vice president of design Thomas Ingenlath; Jaguar advanced design director, Julian Thomson; Gert Hildebrand, head of design for Qoros; and Johann Lemercier, program manager at Ferrari design.

Volvo tests flywheel technology to cut fuel use

Volvo is testing flywheel technology--being used in Formula One racing to give cars an extra boost--as a technology that could help cut fuel use in future cars by as much as 20 percent. Flywheels recapture energy normally lost as heat during braking. That energy can then be used to help propel the car.