Energizer En900 Power Inverter, 900-watt on 2040-parts.com

Thinking Automotive Design 2011

The largest and most important education and research institution of Brazil, the University of São Paulo (USP), has a long tradition of teaching architecture and urban planning through a strong Modernist root. At the same time, the progressiveness of the academic structure always allowed students to take many different directions and the school became reference to art and design education. Graphic and product design disciplines were always part of the long curriculum of the school of architecture and urbanism (FAU USP), but only five years ago an independent design course was created.

Chevrolet Sonic gets $14,495 base price

The new Chevrolet Sonic small car--which replaces the Aveo in Chevy's lineup--carries a base price of $14,495 for the sedan and $15,395 for the hatchback, including shipping charges, when it goes on sale this fall. The 2012 Chevy Sonic sticker price is a jump of $2,249 to $3,005 above the 2011 Aveo, but the Sonic is a new design that includes more standard equipment. It rides on General Motors' new Gamma platform.

Ford B-Max set for Geneva 2011

The Ford B-Max crossover, based on the Iosis Concept (pictured), will debut at Geneva 2011 The Ford Fusion arrived in 2002 as a stretched version of the Ford Fiesta – a mini MPV. And for a while it did pretty well in the sales charts, reaching a peak in 2007 as second only to Vauxhall’s Meriva. But its slide since then has been significant and last year it languished in fifth place with sales of 30,000.