Toyota conducted fix of Prius brakes but didn't notify drivers

Toyota Motor Corp., under fire from fresh quality complaints about its popular Prius hybrid, says it conducted a software fix to address reports of slipping brakes. But the world's biggest carmaker didn't notify customers at the time of the change. And it says it is still uncertain how to handle the thousands of Prius vehicles that were sold before the fix.

Gorden Wagener on how Mercedes is "moving from a traditional luxury brand to a modern luxury brand"

Mercedes' 'home' design studio in Sindelfingen, Germany is housed in an expansive 30,000-square meter building designed by Renzo Piano. The lobby is unassuming, but we're soon through into what Mercedes' grandly calls 'the Vision Room.' It's here that strategic meetings are held with the firm's board, and where we meet Gorden Wagener, Mercedes' head of design since 2008. It's in the Vision Room that Wagener convinced the Mercedes board of the merits of his overarching design philosophy: 'sensual purity'.

Aptera hits a speed bump

While the streamlined, electric two-seat Aptera 2e may be one of the most efficient cars ever designed, the process of getting it to market is becoming a little less efficient. Original plans had the 2e going on sale this year, but the company said on Wednesday that the car will be available to consumers starting in 2010. No specific date was set.