New Sierra Starter Solenoid, 18-5816 Replaces Mercury 89-96054t, 89-91975 on 2040-parts.com

Design Contest: LA Design Challenge 2008

The entrants for the fifth annual Design Challenge, part of the Design Los Angeles automobile designers' conference, have now been announced. Nine Southern California automotive design studios - including Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen - have been pitted against one another and asked to develop a concept which best answers a brief entitled 'Motorsports in 2025'. "Automotive designers have always been fascinated with motorsports and this year's Design Challenge has provided them with the opportunity to use their creative talent to look at these cars with new eyes, using innovative technologies and approaches," said Chuck Pelly, director of Design Los Angeles and partner in The Design Academy, Inc.

Chevrolet Volt, Sonic Super Bowl ads hit the Web

Chevrolet released its Super Bowl ads featuring the Volt with some intergalactic visitors and the Sonic with insects. In the Volt ad, despite the owner's best efforts to explain the concept of a gas/electric hybrid, the aliens are distracted and take an interest in the owner's wife when she comes out of the house. For the Sonic ad, titled “Joy,” for once bugs on the grille of a car isn't a bad thing.

Jaguar C-X16 concept scoops 'Design Concept of the Year' award

The Jaguar C-X16 concept car has won Design Concept Car of the Year at the 2012 Scottish Car of the Year Awards. The two-seater concept – which acted as a teaser for the recently revealed production F-Type model – was first seen last year at the Frankfurt motor show and was designed to indicate Jaguar's future design direction. Collecting the award was Ian Callum, Jaguar's Director of Design, who said, "With the C-X16 concept, we set out to move Jaguar's award-winning design language on to the next generation, creating a car that is the very essence of future Jaguar performance." John Murdoch, association president, declared: "Many of these show stunners don't see the light of day but they are valuable for gauging public reaction to new ideas.