Clock Millenia 1999 99 Ta01 61 1j0 on 2040-parts.com

Toyota ends powertrain deal with Tesla

To the surprise of no one, Toyota has announced the end of a partnership with Tesla that gave rise to the slow-selling RAV4 EV, which will be replaced by a fuel cell car next year. Toyota has said that it can't meet California's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate profitably with electric cars, but it thinks it can make money, or at least not lose so much of it, with fuel cells. Toyota signed a $100 million joint development deal in 2011 with Tesla, to build powertrains for its RAV4 EV.

Winners announced for Car Design Awards China 2010

The winners of the inaugural Car Design Awards China 2010 were announced at an awards ceremony on 21 April in Beijing, just prior to Auto China. Automotive design directors and the design press gathered at automotive design studio CH-Auto to celebrate the achievements of the next generation of car designers. Presenters Edward Wong (China Central Academy of Fine Arts) and Kumo Chiu (Idea Dao Design) took to the stage and introduced the winning student designers in five awards categories.

Roger Moore’s Aston Martin DBS from The Persuaders up for sale at Bonhams (+video)

Lord Brett Sinclair’s Aston Martin DBS V8 from The Persuaders For those of a certain age, the 1970s TV show The Persuaders evokes fond memories of Roger Moore as Brett Sinclair and Tony Curtis as Danny Wilde fighting crime on the French Riviera and driving an Aston Martin DBS and Ferrari Dino respectively. Now, more than 40 years since The Persuaders was aired, the Aston Martin DBS used by Brett Sinclair is to be offered for sale publicly for the first time at Bonhams Aston Martin works sale in May. With The Persuaders the most glamorous and expensive of Lew Grade’s TV adventures, the Aston Martin DBS was the perfect fit for Lord Brett Sinclair’s character (although the Tony Curtis/Danny Wilde Dino wasn’t exactly top-drawer Ferrari) and Aston Martin worked with ITC to make everything work for the show.