Yamaha 660 Raptor Brake Tail Light Switch Yfm660rr #84 2003 on 2040-parts.com

Mazda hires VW alum Derek Jenkins to head U.S. design staff

Former Volkswagen designer Derek Jenkins has been hired to be the design chief for Mazda in America. Jenkins, 39, fills a position vacated last summer by Franz von Holzhausen, who left to take the top design post at electric-vehicle maker Tesla Motors. Jenkins had been chief of design for the Volkswagen Group in North America, which he joined in 2000.

Ram heavy-duty pickup gets higher towing rating

Ram has fired the latest salvo in the ongoing pickup war between the domestic automakers, releasing what the brand claims is now best-in-class towing capacity for its 2013 heavy-duty pickups. The 2013 Ram 3500 is rated to tow a 30,000-pound trailer, up from a maximum towing capacity of 22,750 pounds for the same vehicle and powertrain setup in 2012. According to their respective Web sites, similarly equipped heavy-duty 3500 pickups from General Motors are rated at a towing capacity of 23,100 pounds, while Ford's F-350 similarly equipped is rated at 22,800 pounds.

2008 EyesOn Design Awards

I was once told that the EyesOn Design Awards was initially conceived as an award by which a vehicle would be judged by visually-impaired individuals. The prerequisite for winning was that the beauty of a vehicle would have to be determined solely through the medium of touch. Though it may seem odd that the award is presented by the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology (DIO) - an internationally-recognized non-profit organization known for helping the blind and visually-impaired - it has since grown to become one of the most prestigious automotive design award ceremonies to date.