Ford 1928-34 Tie Rod Metal Cap Set on 2040-parts.com

Local Motors launches Pacific Northwest competition

Local Motors' 20th design competition, themed 'Thrive in the Elements,' opens for submissions starting today, 17 March. The new American car company is calling for entrants to design a car based around the four core elements: Earth, wind, fire and water; challenging designers to create a vehicle that will 'inspire Pacific Northwesterners to thrive'. The deadline for entries is 30 March 2010.

Split Camaro showcases 'quality' for State Farm agents

From fastidiously original to trailer-park fantasy, State Farm Insurance has merged two ends of the car-repair spectrum in one 1968 Chevrolet Camaro convertible. Don't fret for the “destruction” of this car, as it was sourced from a totaled vehicle that ended its first life via an engine fire. The purpose of the build is to educate insurance adjusters on the various levels of quality in repairs, restorations or modifications that find themselves littered throughout the collector-car world.

Driven: Range Rover Evoque

As Sam Livingstone opines in his review of the latest Porsche 911, we are in a period of car design consolidation, with the new 911 the ultimate expression of a slightly suffocating trend. Yet every so often, a vehicle appears that breaks these rules and – through a combination of factors that can be difficult to quantify – captures the imagination, becoming a symbol of the times and an overnight market success. Such vehicles tend to emerge once a decade or so, yet the late 90s and early noughties were extraordinary for giving birth to three – the Ford Ka of '96, Audi TT of '98 and Mini of '01.