Flaming River 1994-97 Ford Mustang Steering Shaft Kit (manual Steering) Fr1509m on 2040-parts.com

Craigslist catch: 1986 Lotus Turbo Esprit

For the masochistic car enthusiast--and many of us here at AutoWeek count ourselves among that breed--nothing is sure to tantalize and frustrate quite as nicely as a Lotus. Not just any Lotus, mind you, but a peaky, force-fed, emissions-saddled 1986 Turbo Esprit. The example shown here, http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/ctd/2318628863.html, appears to be a fine specimen of Giguaro's wedgy Brit, and the rear-quarter decals indicate that this is a late HCi model--high-compression plus Bosch fuel injection.

Next generation MINI Countryman to arrive in 2016

The next generation MINI Countryman to arrive in 2016 (current model pictured) We’ve recently had the arrival of the all new MINI, and the next year or so will see the roll-out of a succession of takes on the new MINI. But that process of building a MINI for every possible niche won’t complete until the MINI Countryman (and its coupe sibling, the MINI Paceman) are replaced. That now looks likely to happen in 2016 as, according to Automotive News, BMW is to end production of the MINI Countryman and Paceman at Magna Steyr in Austria in 2016 and move production of the Countryman and Paceman to Oxford and the new MINI Plant in the Netherlands.

Michelin Challenge Design announces 2014 theme: ‘Driven/Undriven: The Duality of Tomorrow’s Automobiles’

Michelin has announced the theme for the 2014 Michelin Challenge Design competition – ‘Driven/Undriven: The Duality of Tomorrow's Automobiles'. Participants will explore the human-to-vehicle connection, focusing on how this can evolve automotive design. The exploration of autonomous vehicles has gathered pace in recent years, with Toyota displaying its autonomous Lexus car at the recent CES in Las Vegas, while other carmakers and even Google have been investing heavily in the concept.