Dorman Hw7315 Parking Brake Component-parking Brake Hardware Kit on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: Remembering the dearly departed

-- With news that Toyota is leaving the great state of California for the greater (by landmass, anyway; your own opinion may vary) state of Texas, it's worth reminding ourselves that Toyota in America started as one lonely building on 6000 Hollywood Blvd., having taken over a former Rambler dealership. (The site is still a successful Toyota dealership.) That first year of sales in 1958 saw 287 Toyopet Crowns and one Land Cruiser sold -- more as curiosities than as practical transportation, we'd wager. -- At any rate, Toyota's move from California to Texas is moving from "one of the most eco-friendly states in the union," according to Ward's Auto, "to the U.S.’s equivalent of China." -- Ten years ago today, the last Oldsmobile rolled off the line at Lansing Car Assembly.

One Lap of the Web: Green machines, light-up stars and an upside down Porsche

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. To participate in the 24 Hours of LeMons you not only need a sub-$500 car, but you also have to find a gimmick.

VW Tiguan Track and Avenue (2010) released

The 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan Track and Avenue Even when you buy a compact  SUV, it’s nice to have the option of some luxury toys. And car makers like to offer range-topping cars with lots of toys added and throw a new moniker in to the mix. Ford have a range-topping Kuga in the shape of the Individual, and Volkswagen has now pulled the same trick with the VW Tiguan bu adding the ‘Track and Avenue’ to the mix.