Toyota Crown 2004 Multi Monitor [5661300] on 2040-parts.com

Toyota TS040 Hybrid (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 27 March 2014 12:00 Toyota has shown its hand as the titanic clash of the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans draws ever closer. This is the Toyota TS040 Hybrid, which will fight the Audi R18 Ultra and Porsche 919 Hybrid for LMP1 honours this year. It’s the biggest (and possibly the best-sounding) engine of the three LMP1 big-hitters.

Mercedes rethinks its names: new Merc badges explained

At Mercedes, the naming of new models is often trickier than the technology these vehicles convey. Under the current badging hierarchy, most mainstream models use familiar one-letter names like S-class or G-Wagen. So far, so logical.

Behind The Scenes: Hot Wheels Design Studio [w/Video]

Hot Wheels' vice president of design Felix Holst has spent some time chatting to Cool Hunting about the brand's design philosophy at its Design Studio at Mattel's headquarters in El Segundo, California, in a new video. According to Holst Hot Wheels has evolved from being focused on muscle cars and V8 engines to being all about technology as a reflection of the new generation they're designing for.  He explains the benefits of designing over 240 vehicles a year that aren't limited by rules and regulations, saying in a studio that's driven by pushing the boundaries, it's a question of just how wild they can get.  The video really captures not only the men's passion for their jobs but the fun they have doing it. Small wonder Holst says he'd never go back to car design, and reveals the studio is packed with qualified car designers who chose Hot Wheels over conventional jobs in the industry.  We also hear from Hot Wheels Car Maker's designer Julian Payne, who explains how the new Car Maker – which gives you the chance to mold your own custom Hot Wheels at home – works.