Toyota Starlet Kp60 1980 ~ 1982 Black Front Bumper on 2040-parts.com

Concept Car of the Week: Mercury El Gato (1970)

Of all the brands that marked American automobile history, Mercury had never been the most popular or the most loved, which ultimately led to its demise in 2011 when Ford chose to terminate the brand. To be fair only a handful of Mercury models are worth remembering: the 1950 Mercury Eight iconic base for custom cars, the 1955 Montclair, the Mustang-based Cougar, the Marauder X-100, the evil Cyclone Spoiler. However one of their coolest creations is fairly unknown mostly due its short concept car life: El Gato, in Spanish translating as "The Cat".

BMW ‘reveals’ new EfficientDynamics prototype

BMW has established a Web site called www.dontblogabouthis.com with the express purpose of revealing a prototype being used to test a new gasoline-electric driveline earmarked for a future sports car. It’s expected to be launched in 2012 as part of BMW’s EfficientDynamics program. Featuring two short videos and four photographs of a 6-series based prototype, the Web site provides no additional information about the prototype other than to suggest that the car in question is “more than a 6-series”and is “not in its final stage.” Close inspection reveals the matte black BMW mule has a new front end resembling that of the one-off EfficientDynamics concept revealed at last year’s Frankfurt motor show.

Nissan reportedly to adapt hybrid system for front-wheel drive

Nissan Motor Co. is reportedly developing a front-wheel drive adaptation of its in-house hybrid vehicle technology for the next generation Altima Hybrid as early as next year. The system will be based on the rear-wheel-drive hybrid drivetrain that debuted in the 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid, Japan's Nikkan Kogyo business daily says.