Where is Nissan and Infiniti design headed? Just look at the lamps

For a glimpse at future styling trends from Nissan Motor Co., look to the headlamps on the Nissan Leaf electric car and the sculpted rear of the Infiniti M. Front and rear lamps raised from the body surface and pronounced spoilers are two tricks Nissan will use more often to improve the aerodynamics and handling of vehicles--in addition to giving them a futuristic flair, global design chief Shiro Nakamura says. The goal: Win young drivers and bring sales of models such as the Nissan Altima in line with Japanese rivals "The important thing is the front end and the rear end," Nakamura said during an April 12 interview at the company's main design studio south of Tokyo.

Quaker State offers cash reward for reaching 300,000 miles with its oil

If you're thinking of driving your car to the 300,000-mile mark, the maker of Quaker State oil will pay you as much as $3,000--as long as you use its oil. The oil brand on Monday launched the Quaker State Cash Back Program as part of its updated limited-warranty program. According to the company, the warranty is one of the first of its kind that follows the vehicle makers' recommendation for oil changes instead of its own.

Ford begins building 1.0 Ecoboost, a microsized 3cyl

Ford chief exec Alan Mulally was in Essex today to launch the first 1.0-litre Ecoboost engine, which was developed by powertrain engineers at Dunton and Dagenham. The new 999cc triple will be built at Cologne in a new ￡110m production line – and will first be seen in the new Ford Focus in 2012. How powerful is Ford's new 1.0 Ecoboost?