There are two givens in the auto industry these days (well, three, actually, since the automakers are in a heap of trouble): Cars must become more environmentally friendly and the best way to make eco-friendly cars that people want is to make them fun to drive. Racing is fun and brings all sorts of ...

Patrick Dempsey, heart-throb actor most recently seen on Grey's Anatomy , will be driving a Ferrari at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours. Dempsey, who also competed at this years Rolex 24 at Daytona, is not exactly new to the racing world. He is, however, the latest in a long line of actors who longed ...

Torching cars is becoming a pastime in Berlin, where it seems people pissed off about the sorry state of the German economy have taken to immolating automobiles with such frequency that a Google map tracking the arsons is obliterated by pins. At least 29 cars, a good many of them luxury vehicles fro...

From i nostri amici over at Wired Italia comes word that Dainese, maker of some mighty fine motorcycle gear, has come up with a jacket containing an airbag that could save a lot of lives. If it looks like something out of a science fiction novel, it is. Sure, airbag jackets have been around for a wh...

England has been turning out garage specials like this since VE Day, and who are we to argue. Collin Chapman started Lotus as little more than a kit car maker with dreams of racing glory, and from Noble to Safir to the reborn Ginetta, British car nuts that love to tinker have always had a DIY outlet...

When VW first brought the iconic Beetle to America, the car was so basic it didn't even have a gas gauge. It's dashboard was a study in minimalism with just a speedometer and a clock. Fast-forward to the present day, and Nissan’s awesome GT-R has a flat screen display looks like something out of a...

Beau Boeckmann is a man out of time. He personally looks, acts, and interacts with cars like this was 1968, not 2008. In a time where “custom car� means a prop from The Fast & Furious movies, Beau Boeckmann looks elsewhere for his inspiration. For Beau, it’s not a Custom Car, it’s a Kust...

There's a rumor going around that a pair of guys with impressive racing resumes are putting together an American Formula 1 team featuring American drivers Scott Speed and Danica Patrick - and its goal is winning a championship within 10 years. Such rumors make the rounds every two or three years, bu...

Student competitors in the EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge just crossed a major landmark in their three-year quest to win the competition by unveiling their vehicle architectures at the Washington Auto Show. 17 unique designs provide a glimpse into the future of green vehicle technology solutions as envi...

Chris Bangle, who as head of design for BMW became one of the most famous — and reviled — auto designers in automotive history, has abruptly resigned after 16 years with the German automaker. Few will mourn his departure. Fewer still will deny his impact on auto design. The 52-year-old American ...