Honda Ct90 K0 Ct90k0 Ct200 Side Cover Left & Right Classic Vintage Gray (bi) on 2040-parts.com

Subaru seeks to dump 'quirky,' broaden appeal

When Subaru arrived in the United States in the 1960s, ads used the unflattering slogan "cheap and ugly." The brand has come a long way. But to critics, the concept of "Subaru styling" is still an oxymoron. Even loyalists describe it as "quirky"; the less charitable choose "bland" and "boxy." Subaru is one of the few brands that have been unscathed, even growing stronger, during the U.S.

CCS students design tomorrow's headlights

The College of Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit teamed up with Visteon and Osram to give 18 CCS seniors an opportunity to create new automotive lighting designs using the latest technology. CCS has been partnering with Visteon since 2002 and with Osram since 2010. The trio gave students a chance at hands-on design experience under the guidance of designers and engineers from Visteon and Osram as a class during the 2011 fall semester.

End of Maybach may jump-start Mercedes S-class convertible

A couple of nondenial denials from Mercedes-Benz execs at the New York auto show this week sure made it sound like there's a convertible coming, based on the redesigned S-class due out next year. If the brand follows its usual practice, the convertible would come out a year or two after the sedan. Significantly, Mercedes-Benz showed the Ocean Drive convertible concept five years ago with a Mercedes-Benz badge, rather than Maybach.