Future products: Toyota lineup gets an 18-month makeover

Toyota plans to move into new product segments over the next 18 months, as well as redesign several mainstream models. By the spring of 2012, Toyota will launch all-new versions of the Camry, Yaris, Tacoma and RAV4. Also, the new FT-86 sport coupe, developed with Subaru, should arrive on these shores by that time.

Late to the Fiesta: Ford offers $50 gift cards to buyers whose cars are late

Ford is giving a $50 Ford gift card to buyers of the 2011 Ford Fiesta who have had to wait longer than expected for their vehicles to be delivered. Ford spokeswoman Angie Kozleski confirmed that the company was giving the MasterCard gift cards to customers who ordered the new Fiesta, calling it “a token of our appreciation for their patience.” Ford couldn't disclose how many cards it is distributing, but said retail customers who reserved or placed an order for the new Fiesta would receive one. Fiestas have been slow to get to dealerships after a hurricane that hit Mexico in June crippled rail lines used to ship vehicles made at Ford's plant in Cuautitlan, near Mexico City.

Students experiment with interactive window glass for GM

General Motors is thinking long term for its back-seat entertainment. It worked with students from the Future Lab at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel to develop apps that run on a car's rear side windows. The project, called Windows of Opportunity, was inspired by studies that say passengers often feel disconnected from their environments.