DRAWING BOARD Honda S660: It could be that Honda will replace its two-seat CRZ hybrid hatchback with this roadster.
The S660 was built for the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show and will launch in Japan in late 2014. It features a turbocharged 0.66-litre three-cylinder engine, but for North America it would likely get a hybrid powertrain consisting of a fourcylinder gasoline engine combined with an electric motor.
AUTO TRIVIA In 2005, a robotically driven Volkswagen Touareg completed a 211- kilometre course across the Nevada desert in less than seven hours at an average speed of 30.4 km/h.
Youngsters the world over who play with toy cars can thank Leonardo Da Vinci for designing the first vehicle powered by a simple wind-up spring.
WHO AM I? To guess his secret identity, read the following clues: 1. He was raised in Southern California and always seemed to have a flair for the artistic.
2. He got his first break as a designer with Ford. He moved to Studebaker/Packard and then to General Motors.
3. He worked on the 1963 "split-window" Corvette coupe and, back with Ford, the Boss Mustang.
4. Later, he became an independent stylist, working on automotive and industrial designs.
Still stumped? His name is Larry Shinoda, and he worked almost exclusively with styling wizard Bill Mitchell to pull off the '63 Corvette.