Model T Crankcase Oil Sight Gauge, Brass, 1909-1927 on 2040-parts.com

Toyota to close Australian design studio

Toyota designers at its Technical Center Asia Pacific Australia (TTCAP-AU) are to lose their jobs as part of Toyota's decision to scale back the facility's activities as well as halting all manufacturing within the country by 2017. The TTCAP-AU, which carries out all its Australian design and evaluation operations, employs 150 designers and modelers and it's possible that its activities with the Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion models could be scrapped, raising doubts over its future. Around 2,500 employees at Toyota's Altona manufacturing plant are expected to lose their jobs, although the effects are likely to be wider ranging.

Volkswagen Passat Executive and Executive Style

Volkswagen’s moving up in the world with the introduction of the Executive and Executive Style to its Passat range. The two new models add a bit of luxury and bling to the current Passat, ahead of rumours of an all-new version coming in 2015. Find out how much a used Volkswagen Passat costs on Auto Trader On Bing: see pictures of the Volkswagen Passat The new Passat Executive is fitted with 17-inch alloys (an inch bigger than standard on the base-spec ‘S’), as well as splashes of exterior chrome and matt black roof rails on the estate.

2015 Dodge Charger gets inside-out revamp for New York

The 2015 Dodge Charger is getting shown off at the New York auto show this week. The muscle sedan gets a freshened exterior, a DOHC 3.6-liter 300-hp V6 capable of 31 mpg highway and a standard eight-speed automatic transmission with sport mode the company claims reduces shift times 37 percent. The 5.7-liter 370-hp Hemi V8 is optional.