Autometer Oil Temp Gauge 2-1/16" on 2040-parts.com

CES: New cars and communists

The first day of the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show featured one new Ford, two new Kias and a plug for communism from the head of Mercedes-Benz. So, yeah, it was an eventful first day. After its new 2013 Fusion plug-in hybrid was named Car of the Show--following previous such distinctions for the Focus electric and the Taurus--Ford CEO Alan Mulally pulled the cover off the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Wet T-Shirt Video – but not quite what you’d expect

On the face of it this wet T-Shirt video from a paint sealant company is a blunt way of getting a sales message across. But it has a twist. We get sent lots of videos from companies with car-related products to flog who hope we’ll run their masterpiece and get a bit of a buzz going to boost sales.

Mini John Cooper Works GP (2012) first official pictures

Mini has unveiled the new top-dog Mini John Cooper Works GP - a limited edition, very fast, very expensive Mini hot hatch. Just 2000 Mini GP editions will be built, with first sales due for late 2012. Yes, it's a signal that current generation Mini is approaching its wind-down period ahead of the all-new, third-generation Mini models due to land from 2014.