Mercedes 92 300e Sun/moon Roof Switch Black 1992 on 2040-parts.com

Demise of kei cars on the horizon?

The kei car has long been a staple of the Japanese automobile industry and its car culture. Too diminutive for Western markets, the tiny cars and trucks are a strong influencer of design in Japan. Now, as The New York Times reports, the Japanese government has hit kei cars with increases in sales tax, gasoline prices and has reduced the kei car tax break introduced to make the cars popular in the first place by 50 percent.

VW to unveil Beetle Dune concept at Detroit Auto Show

The jury is out as to whether Volkswagen's Beetle Dune concept is more Frank Herbert or Bruce Meyers. Equipped with all mod cons, it’s a far cry from the simple, tough desert-race-inspired Bugs that popped up like aggro sandworms during the 1970s. On the other hand, it's still got four gasoline-burning cylinders and two-wheel drive.

Maserati refreshes Quattroporte

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 24 June 2008 08:51 Maserati has given its Quattroporte a mid-life refresh and a power boost. The new flagship Quattroporte S borrows the 424bhp 4.7-litre V8 from the GranTurismo S, while the standard Quattroporte retains the existing 393bhp 4.2-litre engine from before, with both hooked up to the ZF six-speed automatic transmission introduced two years ago. No, fortunately Maserati has decided not to tamper with the Quattroporte’s styling – five years and 15,000 sales from launch and the Pininfarina-penned saloon still looks superb.