Mercury Rx4 150hp Power Trim Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Honda reportedly plans electric car for '15

Honda could be joining the growing ranks of electric-car makers and reportedly plans to sell one in the United States sometime around 2015. Reports in the Nikkei Business Daily in Japan say that the car would arrive then as part of Honda's plans to meet stricter mileage standards set to take effect for the 2016 model year. The car would be Honda's answer to the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt, which have announced eye-popping mpg figures and are due next year.

Volkswagen Polo wins European Car of the Year award

Volkswagen's new Polo--slated to enter the U.S. market within three years--narrowly beat the Toyota iQ to win the 2010 European Car of the Year award. The Polo scored 347 points against 337 for the iQ city car.

Porsche Panamera designer focused on rear-seat passengers

There's no mistaking it for anything but a Porsche, but with four doors and four full seats, the Panamera is like no previous Porsche. Styled by a team of in-house designers under the direction of Michael Mauer, the Panamera is 195.7 inches long, 76.0 inches wide and 55.8 inches tall--making it slightly shorter but wider and lower than the Maserati Quattroporte, with which it shares a coupelike profile. As with all such silhouettes, "the real challenge is giving the rear-seat passengers enough headroom," says Mauer.