Magnaflow 36868 Direct Fit California Catalytic Converter on 2040-parts.com

Michelin Challenge Design 2007: The not so ugly truth about rising vehicle safety standards

Can cars be safe and beautiful at the same time? That may not have been the case a few decades ago when automakers were forced to hang those big, ugly so-called federal bumpers off the ends of their vehicles.  With vehicle safety standards on the rise around the globe are designers today feeling a little '70s deja vu when it comes to meeting the challenges of making cars safe as well as more fuel efficient? "(Back then) we said it was the end of automotive styling," says Patrick Le Quement, senior vice president for corporate design at Renault and one of the world's most influential automotive designers.

Koenigsegg Agera R World Speed Records now official (video)

Koenigsegg Agera R gets Guinness World Speed Record - Video One of the speed records set back in September by the incredible Koenigsegg Agera R has now been ratified by Guinness - 0-300-0 km/h (0-186-0 mph) in 21.9 seconds. As we say every time Koenigsegg jumps in to vision with another bonkers car or speed feat, we’re amazed at just what a handful of men with beards (except Christian von Koenigesgg – who doesn’t seem to have a hair to his name) can do from a shed in the snow of Sweden. What makes Koenigsegg even more impressive is that it’s not just that they  produce a stunning looking hypercar, but that they do it all themselves.

Kia Rio

Another car set to be unveiled at Geneva is the Kia Rio. Debuting alongside the Picanto, the Rio's new look brings it inline with the rest of the Kia family. The B segment car has grown in all directions and sports a longer wheelbase, whilst sitting around 15mm lower than the existing model.