Alpine Amp on 2040-parts.com

Cars & Coffee: Two ingredients to start off your SoCal weekend just right

Cars & Coffee is not yet on the FDA's list of the four basic food groups--but it really should be. It started out as a word-of-mouth gathering of eclectic and cool cars at a spot called Crystal Cove just south of Newport Beach, Calif., but it quickly outgrew that home. “Some of the guys got together, just a spontaneous gathering of, ‘Well, let's bring our cool cars,' ” said Pebble Beach judge, Ferrari collector and well-loved Ford PR guy John Clinard, one of, if not the main driver behind the event.

Ram 1500 gets a larger RamBox, more cab options for new models

Not to be outdone by Ford's F-150 announcements, Ram on Thursday disclosed a few additions to its lineup--including a heavy-duty Tradesman model, a new RamBox and an extension of model availability for the Express model. The Ram 1500 Tradesman, which is the basic workhorse of the lineup, will now be offered in heavy-duty trim with a towing capacity of 11,500 pounds. Payload also increases to 3,100 pounds.

RCA Citroen/Exa Double Challenge project

Second year students at the Royal College of Art in London revealed a series of projects at their interim degree show last week. Developed in collaboration with French automaker Citroen and the Exa Corporation, a leading supplier of aerodynamic software, the Double Challenge project asked students to design an ultra-compact model that could establish a unique Citroën e-vehicle aesthetic for the future, all while adhering to certain aerodynamic criteria that would not only reduce energy consumption and ensure stability at speed, but also visually communicate efficiency through its design. The project, which kicked off in October last year, was closely followed by representatives from Citroen and Exa, who examined each of the projects and chose a winner, Heikki Juvonen, at the event last week.