Ford Oem Seat Track Cover 7l1z78666c00dc Image 17 on 2040-parts.com

$4 gasoline fuels surge in March sales

It feels counterintuitive. Expensive gasoline not only helped propel new-vehicle sales in the first quarter. It was a key factor in the surge.

Hyundai ix35 FCEV Hydrogen Fuel Cell in production by end 2012

Hyundai will have its hydrogen powered ix35 FCEV in production by the end of 2012 with full production by 2015. We’ve spotted the Hyundai ix35 FCEV (that’s the hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle) out in South Korea sporting a new nose a couple of times recently, which apparently doesn’t signal a facelift for the ix35. What it does signal is Hyundai’s commitment to the hydrogen fuel cell as the most sensible fuel for cars in the future and to remove our dependency on oil, and Hyundai has been out promoting that message in London.

AutoWeek office swag: Mazda rotary-engine keychain with realistic motion

When I got the keys to our long-term 2011 Mazda 5 last week, they came with a surprise--this aluminum-and-brass keychain in the shape of a rotary-engine housing, complete with moving rotor. The rotor doesn't just rattle around or spin in a circle. Thanks to a thumbwheel on the back of the housing, coupled with a timing gear and offset crank journal, the thing actually moves in an approximation of epitrochoidal motion just like a real Wankel.