Sprint Car Midget Mini Sprint Micro Sprint Racing Butlerbuilt 15" Steering Wheel on 2040-parts.com

Ford gains ground in customer perception

The Ford brand gained ground in consumers' minds this year as Toyota slipped, though the Japanese juggernaut still leads the pack by a slight margin. Over the last two years, Ford climbed 35 percentage points while Toyota dropped 46 percentage points, according to the latest survey from Consumer Reports. During this time, Ford (144) moved within three points of Toyota (147).

David Brown Automotive Speedback sports classic looks, modern performance

A new 510-hp, V8-powered British sports car has broken cover in London, boasting classically inspired styling, a hand-built aluminum body, crafted interior trim and a $400,000 price tag, Created by a new company, David Brown Automotive, the Speedback is a prototype built on a Jaguar XKR platform with the aim of delivering a “vision of a classic-looking sports car without compromising modern convenience and features.” Drive comes from the XKR's supercharged 5.0-liter V8, unmodified and boasting 510 hp and 461 lb-ft, mated to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission. The 3,968 lb. curb weight is very similar to that of the donor car, so performance and economy figures are also similar: 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds and a top speed limited to 155 mph.

Suzuki Crosshiker concept stars at the Tokyo Motor Show 2013

Back in 2011, Suzuki unveiled an ultra-efficient small car concept called the Regina –　though this name was quickly changed to G70 for Europe (can’t imagine why). Now in 2013, Suzuki has unveiled the Crosshiker – a taller, chunkier take on the same theme. This is a very modern crossover, in other words.