Ram / Dodge 2009-2013 Flow Through Center Console Cup Holder Inc. Shifter on 2040-parts.com

Driven: Lexus IS-F

The Lexus IS-F is a significant new design for one core reason: it introduces a performance sub-brand parallel to that of the M-cars from BMW, AMG from Mercedes-Benz, and the S and RS sub-brands from Audi. This then is Lexus making a logical next step to further encroach on the established German premium brands. BMW originated the premium brands' performance sub-brand with the 'M for Motorsport' M3 of 1986 (the M1 supercar of 1978 preceded that, but was a singular model, not a performance derivative).

Jaguar BlackJag 2004 concept car up for sale

It's not often that a former auto show concept is offered for sale, mostly because of buzzkill stuff like government crash standards, emissions compliance documents and other boring paperwork. But it does happen from time to time, such as when General Motors sold off a chunk of its Heritage Collection -- though most of those cars were sold without titles, just on bills of sale, which prevents them from being registered for road use. This week there is (allegedly) a 2004 Geneva motor show concept for sale -- a running concept car for that matter -- with a steep price to go along with it, as GTSpirit has discovered.

Driven: Volkswagen Passat CC GT

Elegant and refined. Forty years ago these two words would not have been used to describe the Beetles bought in droves by the counterculture in the US; a symbol of the hippy movement and the definitive people's car, designed at a time when Germany sought to put people in motion. With the Passat CC, however, Volkswagen is indeed making a sharp move away from the ‘volks wagen', and these two words rolled off the tongues of those who saw the car in all three countries we drove through on our winter holiday.