Simpson Race Suite / Fire Suite on 2040-parts.com

Mini unveils Clubman concept at Geneva Motor Show with more doors

This week Mini has brought the Clubman concept to the Geneva Motor Show, and even though it's officially a concept car for the purposes of its appearance at the 2014 edition of the Salon International de l'Auto, the car itself is basically production ready behind the scenes. The Clubman has grown unexpectedly for the 2015 model year redesign, to the point where it might be confused with the five-door Hardtop, but that's a different model which we'll see later in the year. Even though the Clubman now boasts six doors, it will be positioned somewhat differently from its five-door Hardtop sibling, even though in practice the two will be offering essentially the same package.

Rhonda Renaissance Part 2: Paint vs. vinyl

We dispensed with the basics in Part 1 on Monday: There's a 1963 Pontiac StarChief in the parking garage of Autoweek HQ. It needs of a new coat of something for the summer, so let's explore some of the options confronting today's refinish customers, where candy paint is no longer the only game in town. Let's start with vinyl wraps: We've seen them, felt them and picked at them at shows and in shops.

Detroit Auto Show 2004 Trends and Overview

Where last year's Detroit Auto Show was all about horsepower and luxury, this year's show was more muted, with few truly outstanding cars making shockwaves. The main contender, the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve, didn't create anything like the reaction of the Cadillac Sixteen last year and seemed a bit late to the party, with its massive power and excessive styling. And after all the hype, shouldn't it have been a Dodge, the power brand of DaimlerChrysler, rather than just a Chrysler?For the past couple of years the show has been dominated by truck and SUV launches, so it was good to see the focus shifting back towards cars once again.