Yamaha 5jg-17241-00 Gear *new on 2040-parts.com

Make like a tree and Leaf: We drive Nissan's coming electric vehicle

From behind the wheel, the production version of the Nissan Leaf electric car is smooth, silent, feels nearly friction free and offers all the prodigious torque inherent in an electric car. That's what we found after a short drive around Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday. The body you see in the photo is a Versa.

Vintage vehicles shine at annual Lime Rock Park fall festival

Mark your 2011 calendar for this event, right now. Vintage racing in the Northeast was virtually invented at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. The sport was established by the Vintage Sports Car Club of America (VSCCA), founded in 1958, and remained “clubby” for nearly two generations, as anyone who ever saw Fred Willits drive his Bugatti GP car through the Lime Rock pits with his blue blazer buttoned over his driving suit will remember.

‘GEN Y 2012 – Express Yourself’ contest launched

Liberty Electric Cars has launched a competition for design students calling for ideas for a revolutionary ‘Car of the Year' 2020. The company, which specializes in electric vehicle (EV) drivetrain technologies for multiple vehicle platforms, has asked for students to create a revolutionary electric vehicle for its ‘GEN Y 2012 – Express Yourself' contest. The design must be targeted for Generation Y (between 18 and 29 years old), with the brief stating that the vehicle "should be iconic in shape and allow the user to express their own personality." The vehicle should also "become a fashion item, fun to drive and should use innovative technologies and materials that can be easily configured according to the driver's requirements." The contest is open for students enrolled in a college or university-level design program, either in transportation, product or fashion design, engineering or architecture.