Replace Fo1200515 - Ford Flex Lower Grille Brand New Truck Suv Grill Oe Style on 2040-parts.com

Storing classic concept cars is a huge hassle

If you see a dazzling concept car at an auto show this year, consider this: Somebody is going to have to find the space to park it and maintain it in a heritage collection, perhaps until the end of time. Preserving this year's hits as the museum pieces of the future is one of the great backroom issues of the auto industry. If you need to see the first wood-paneled Honda Civic Country station wagon from 1980 for some good reason, Honda has one in storage in Japan.

2014 Toyota 4Runner gets mid-cycle refresh

The Toyota 4Runner is getting a mid-cycle refresh for 2014. The Japanese giant gave the SUV a new exterior treatment, interior refinements and added some comfort and convenience options. The 270-hp, 4.0-liter V6 is the only engine available.

MIT researchers rethink electric-car batteries

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say a new battery design for electric vehicles could be a lightweight and inexpensive alternative. The goal for the team's three-year project, launched in September 2010, is to have a functioning prototype ready to be engineered as a replacement for existing electric-car batteries. At this point in the project, the prototype uses a “semi-solid flow” to separate the two functions of a battery--storing energy and discharging it when needed--into separate physical structures.