Yamaha Wave Venture 760 Ride Plate on 2040-parts.com

Design Services: Motorcity Europe

A recent Business Week article stated that "never before has design been so vital to an auto maker's success, maybe even to its survival". Much of the reason for this is the close parity in quality between different brands and the general high quality of new cars; according to J.D. Power, vehicle quality has improved 24% in the past five years.

Are Peugeot Citroen set to be bought out by GM?

Could GM take control of Peugeot Citroen? Last year we reported that Peugeot Citroen (PSA) and GM were forming a joint alliance to cut costs and develop new cars. But we questioned if the small savings of €2 billion a year from jointly developing new platforms and engines would do anything to stem the losses both companies were facing in Europe, and wondered if the only solution was a merger.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: The gullwing takes flight

Before we reveal what it is like to hot-lap a prototype version of Mercedes-Benz's 6.2-liter V8-powered SLS around the 2.2-mile Sachsenring in eastern Germany, let us tell you one thing that puts the big rear-wheel-drive coupe into clear perspective. The SLS, planned to get its first public outing at the Frankfurt motor show in September, is not based on any existing Mercedes model. Rather, it has been conceived, designed and engineered from the ground up in a no-compromise approach by the German carmaker's in-house tuning division, AMG.