Honda Logo Keychain Civic Accord Emblem Metal 4215 on 2040-parts.com

2015 Corvette Stingray will get an eight-speed automatic transmission

2015 Corvette Stingray buyers will have a new transmission option when they head to dealer lots next year: An eight-speed automatic that will supposedly weight less than the six-speed it replaces and boasting quicker shift times than the dual-clutch in the Porsche 911. Named the 8L90, this eight-speed will be built in Ohio and will also be found on the upcoming Corvette Z06. If the gearbox is capable of handling the 625 hp put down by that supercharged beast, we're sure it'll take on the regular Stingray's 455 hp without breaking a sweat.

Essay: Variable Degrees of Translucency

Car door panels and fenders are generally made of steel, sometimes of aluminum or plastic composites, and you can't see through them. Car windows, on the other hand, are made of a transparent sandwich of glass and plastic - and you can see through them. But in the future there will be variable degrees of transparency: translucent elements where once there were none, traditional window areas that will have opaque elements and graduated progressions from opaque to see-through.

Audi A5 Sportback joins a growing lineup, but only in Europe for now

Audi is shoehorning another model into its ever-expanding lineup--the A5 Sportback. The Sportback joins the coupe and the convertible in Audi's A5 family. This model sports four doors and a hatchback, yet sits nearly 1.5 inches lower than the A4 sedan.