Chevrolet Step Plates Chevy Logo Diamond Style on 2040-parts.com

Nissan 370Z Roadster (2009): full official photos

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 07 April 2009 22:01 Nissan has released its full official photos of the new 370Z Roadster in New York ahead of its debut at the 2009 auto show. As expected, it's a straightforward decapitation of the thrill-seeking 370Z Coupe, with a good, old-fashioned canvas soft-top in keeping with the Zed's no-nonsense character.There's structural reinforcement in the A-pillars and side sills to counter the lack of roof, but Nissan says numerous body panels are made from aluminium to keep weight in check. The bonnet, door panels and bootlid are all crafted from the lightweight metal and there are individual, fixed roll bars behind each seat.Providing the fun is the 327bhp/270lb ft 3.7-litre V6 with variable valve lift and the choice of a seven-speed auto or six-speed manual transmission.

Mini previews John Cooper Works concept before Detroit auto show

A new Mini John Cooper Works concept will bow at the Detroit auto show in January. It gets exclusive gray paintwork, red accents, new aerodynamics and new 18-inch JCW light alloy wheels. Mini says the concept has a longer wheelbase and wider track than the outgoing model, which is hardly surprising -- the Mini gets less Mini every year.

Land Rover testing electric Defender 110 pickup

Land Rover has begun testing an electric version of the Land Rover Defender first shown at the 2012 Geneva motor show. The electric Defender prototype is in service at the Eden Project in Cornwall, U.K., a complex of several large transparent domes that house multiple artificially maintained environments containing thousands of rare plants, and is a popular visitor attraction. At the moment the electric Defender isn't exactly tearing through the Amazon rainforest, but the work it's doing is nevertheless a good approximation of how quite a lot of Defenders are used in real life -- at least in terms of speed and duration of use.