Dorman 611-074 Lug Nut, Front on 2040-parts.com

Design Services: Artware Concept and Dassault Systèmes

Concept cars are the creative work and the car manufacturers' future vision as expressed by their in-house design studios, but the physical sculpture, the one we see under the spotlight at motor shows, is often the work of design consultancies. It is at these independent studios that the conceptual study, sometimes even a simple sketch, is visualized into a life-size, running prototype. Artware Concept is not a novice in the field.

Maybach from Jay-Z and Kanye West video up for auction

Just because Daimler shut down Maybach in November doesn't mean that the marque won't still fetch top dollar on the open market. But, if buyers want something with a little more flair and a little less Grey Poupon, they can head to the Phillips de Pury & Co. auction in New York to pick one up that was used in the Jay-Z and Kanye West video for the song “Otis.” The Maybach 57 with a pedigree is expected to go for about $125,000, a third of what one costs new.

Chrysler recalls Wrangler, Compass and Patriot

Chrysler Group said today it will recall more than 220,000 units of the Jeep Wrangler to fix a transmission flaw and 409,000 units of the Jeep Compass and Patriot worldwide to fix a software glitch that could stop airbags and seatbelts from working in a crash. The recalls add to a growing list of safety problems at Chrysler, which stunned the auto industry this week by taking the rare step of rebuffing a recall request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On Tuesday, Chrysler refused to recall 2.7 million units of the 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-07 Jeep Liberty, claiming that the vehicles were built in compliance with safety standards and are not more accident-prone than other vehicles of the time.