Atlas 1940s Car Heater 6v Hot Rod Under Dash Round on 2040-parts.com

Hot Wheels cars inventor Elliot Handler dies

Elliot Handler,the inventor of Hot Wheels die-cast toy cars, died July 21 at his home in Southern California. He was 95 years old. Handler and his wife, Ruth, and family friend Matt Matson founded the Mattel toy company in 1945.

Audi will use E-tron name for electric cars

Audi plans to use the E-tron designation for its electric vehicles. Audi cars will carry the E-tron logo on their rear, similar to the way models now bear the "quattro" designation. Audi plans to produce an initial run of 100 units of its E-tron electric sports car at its factory in Ingolstadt, Germany, in 2012.

Italdesign Tex concept

The second concept from Volkswagen's recently acquired Italdesign was the Tex. A research study into the potential future design language of the German brand, the Tex also draws on existing technologies from Wolfsburg.  Utilizing the 'twin drive' plug-in hybrid system, the Tex is capable of a range of 35 kilometers in electric mode, a range Giugiaro claims is ample enough for day-to-day commuting. Adopting a sporting pretense, the Tex is low slung, sitting atop large 19-inch diameter wheels and sports an aggressive DRG.