Dorman 38646 Tailgate Hinge on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: Relentless auction consumerism and a chat with Pete Brock

-- Bonham's is hosting "Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais," happening right now in Paris. Sounds fancy. And as with almost every Bonham's auction, there is some fancy machinery: our friends at Bring a Trailer point out an almost surreal variety of cars, from a Mazda 323 GTX Group N rally car to a cute lil' Saab 92B De Luxe.

Renault 4 Ever contest shortlist announced

Renault and Design Boom have announced the ten designs that have been shortlisted in their ‘Renault 4 Ever’ design competition. Over 3,200 projects were submitted by design enthusiasts from 92 different countries after Renault, in collaboration with Design Boom, released a brief calling for designs that re-created the ‘look and style' of the iconic Renault 4, capture the functionality and minimalistic philosophy of the original while respecting its identity and iconic status. The jury also wanted to see innovative design and technology for sustainable mobility.

Ford Focus Electric (2011): Blue Oval's new BEV

This is the new Ford Focus Electric, just unveiled at CES 2011, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Ford Focus Electric will become the first electric production car from Ford, and the first of five electric or electrified (hybrid) vehicles that Ford will put on sale in North America and Europe by 2013. Ford hasn't released every single detail yet, as it unveiled the Focus Electric at the CES to highlight the technology which allows drivers to find charging stations, set their car to charge when the electricity is at its cheapest, and remotely access their cars.