Nos 694549 Mopar 1939 Dodge Ammeter Gauge on 2040-parts.com

Show Review: Design LA

Design LA, the automotive design conference that incorporates the Design Challenge competition, has announced its winners, during this year's LA Motor Show. Chuck Pelly, who set up Design LA last year, introduced the event and the judges for the Design Challenge: Tom Matano , Director, Academy of Art University; Imre Molner, Dean, College of Creative Studies; Steward Reed, Chair, Transportation Design, Art Centre College of Design; and Bill Van Amburg, Senior Vice President, Calsart. This year's nine competition entries had a brief to deliver a 100 percent recyclable, five-year lifespan vehicle with 'accoutrements that add fun or function to represent California's unique green lifestyle.' The Acura FCX 2020 Le Mans is a Le Mans-style race car concept notable for its enclosed wheels and motorbike style forward-inclined driving position between the front wheels (which can just be made out in the translucent illustration shown here).

Visual arts students vs. in-car technology

The automobile's natural technological evolution has gone from basics like wipers and headlights to high-tech infotainment systems that map your route, locate the nearest Starbucks, report weather and traffic, and stream personal music libraries. Yet many of these systems are difficult and distracting to use. So we wondered: Of the infotainment systems out there, is there even one achieving its connectivity goals better than the rest?

New Honda NSX takes to the track (video)

The new Honda/Acura NSX (pictured) hits the track The new Honda NSX has been a decade or more in the making as Honda vacillated over whether or not to revisit their supercar odyssey with a a new NSX for the 21st century. But having shaken off the self-imposed shackles that made them believe a new Honda supercar in these more austere and ‘Green’ times would be anathema, Honda are finally powering forward with a new NSX. True, they’ve decided their new NSX needs to be’Green’ to be good, but the green-ness Honda are throwing at the new NSX actually gives it more power too, so we’re not complaining.