Yamaha Jetboat Windshield on 2040-parts.com

2012 European Car of the Year shortlist announced

The shortlist for the 2012 European Car of the Year award has been announced today. There were 35 cars on the original list, but the first round of voting from the 59 jury members (including CAR Magazine’s editor Phil McNamara, and our European correspondent Georg Kacher) has whittled the list down to just seven. They are… • Citroen DS5• Fiat Panda• Focus Focus• Opel (Vauxhall) Ampera/Chevrolet Volt• Range Rover Evoque• Toyota Yaris• Volkswagen Up There will now be a second round of test drives, before the European Car of the Year jurors submit their scores and a winner is announced live at the Geneva motor show on 5 March 2012.

SEMA 2013: What's Right By Rong

Preval Project Woody Blake Z. Rong Preval calls this the "Fairy Tale Auto Ambitious Project Rover," whatever that means. For the low, low price of if you gotta ask, spraygun enthusiasts Preval will transform your Range Rover convertible -- all the rage in the Michelle Pfeiffer days -- into something resembling The Flintstone's Beach Buggy had they decided to cash in their 401ks and retire to Manhattan Beach.

Nissan Terra SUV concept (2012) first official pictures

This is the Nissan TeRRA (which we'll be referring to as the Terra from now on.) It's a hydrogen fuel cell-powered concept car that'll debut on Nissan's stand at the 2012 Paris motor show from 27 September. Strictly a design study with no plans for production, it does nevertheless confirm that Nissan is thinking seriously about fuel cell-equipped cars, and that once the infrastructure is viable, Nissans will be quick to adapt to a hydrogen-fuelled future. It's not Leaf-style EVs, you know.