After his car was stolen and torched in 2008, Jed Lind had to change the way he got around. After riding a bicycle around the streets of L.A. for two years, the Toronto-born artist learned a valuable lesson about how difficult it is to navigate the street of the typical urban jungle without a car.

His experience led him to build “Gold, Silver and Lead,” a towering stack of white 1979 Honda Civics. This piece challenges ideas about mobility and how we travel, and it is on display at the Toronto Sculpture Garden until September 2012. His idea is to get people to think about “slowing things down” and be mindful of extraordinary things that end up being taken for granted.

So why all the 1979 Civics? It all goes back to a time when an energy crisis held the world hostage as oil supply shortages sent gas prices sky high. In 1979, cars tended to be huge gas-guzzlers, until the Honda Civic came along. Made famous by Buckminster Fuller, the utopian American architect and thinker, the Civic was a promise of better times and moving forward.

The name of the sculpture, “Gold, Silver and Lead,” actually comes from a Buckminster Fuller quote (“Gold and silver from the dead turn often into lead”). The sculpture consists of seven Honda Civics stacked on top of each other, going through a succession of dematerializing as they rise up into the sky. All of the cars are missing pieces, and as you move up the totem, you’ll notice how only the frame remains at the top.

“Something I really like about these sculptures is that they appear to be one thing you may not recognize, and then you approach it and it changes,” said Lind. “It’s dematerialized, and all of a sudden, it’s a car being pared down.”

[Source: Toronto Star]

Volkswagen has revealed some more plans about the second generation Phaeton flagship. For one thing, it’ll be built off a new architecture being developed by Audi with extensive use of aluminum employed in the car’s body construction.

The platform, called VW631 will also result in a Phaeton with better weight distribution than the old and likely the provision for four and six-cylinder engines as well as the option of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, so no V8s, V10s or W12s second time around.

Given how the original Phaeton  spectacularly tanked in the marketplace, it begs the question, why should VW think about building another one? Well, sources inside the company say the next generation car will be far more contemporary in terms of styling and interior detailing and besides being considerably lighter and more efficient, less expensive too. Current estimates put pricing of the new model, when it does go on sale around 2015, between Audi’s A6 and A8 models. And although there hasn’t been any official confirmation yet, it’s probable the new Phaeton will make it stateside.

That said, priced between the A6 and A8 or not, it’ll still be one expensive people’s car and the question is, given that the US and European  economies aren’t likely to have improved much by then, can the company from Wolfsburg really make it work this time out? It’ll be interesting to see.

[Source: Car Magazine]

It’s design might be anything but groundbreaking, but don’t ever say the Porsche 911 isn’t a trend setter. Offering the first 7-speed manual transmission in a production car, the new 911 won’t be the only high performance model to get such a multi-geared stick shift with Chevrolet set to hop on the bandwagon.

Arriving some time in 2013 as a 2014 model year car,the C7 Corvette will be offered with a standard 7-speed manual. As for the car’s engine, don’t look for any major changes when it comes to the type of engine, with a pushrod V8 expected under the hood. That small block will, however, get direct-injection and variable lift, enabling more power with considerably improved fuel economy.

[Source: InsideLine]

Given the recent talk about Ford’s luxury division, namely an injection of cash, design independence and a raft of new models coming down the pike, the latest word on the street is that Lincoln plans to axe it’s trademark “waterfall” grille.

First seen on the MKR concept at the North American International Auto Show in 2007, the waterfall has become just about the only defining design feature of the brand’s current product lineup, (some might agree the full-width tailight treatment on some models also counts).

Given that Lincoln is one brand struggling to find its identity in a saturated luxury market (a combination of badge-engineered vehicles and others in search of market doesn’t help),  frequent changes in design aren’t likely to prove beneficial if Ford wants the brand to embark on the road to sustained growth and success.

With that in mind let’s hope the brand’s new design team comes up with a grille design that really does stand out; a signature touch that not only endures but defines what Lincoln is all about. And if it happens to adorn American luxury vehicles we can actually be proud of, so much the better.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Just last week we told you about Hollywood actor John Travolta’s classic Mercedes-Benz 280 SL getting stolen outside a Jaguar dealership in Santa Monica, CA.

Now the Santa Monica Police are seeking the public’s help in finding this rare car. The vehicle in question is a 1970 model, and while it was originally a light silver, it now has a custom brown paint job. It’s license plate is 3RBZ737.

The car was stolen off Berkley Street at 3:46 p.m. Police is asking if anyone has any security camera’s in the area that could have captured the crime. Travolta had left the car for just 10 minutes before he returned to find it missing. It is not known if the thief followed the car, or just happened upon it.

If you know anything about this vehicle, you can call Det. Steve Smetzer at (310) 458-8936 or Sgt. Henry Ramirez at (310) 458-8453. Investigators can also be reached through the 24-hour line (310) 458-8495 and those wishing to remain anonymous can call WeTip at (800) 782-7463 or visit their website at www.lacrimestoppers.org.

A $1000 reward is being offered to whoever provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction on this case. The car itself is valued at over $35,000.

[Source: LA Times]

Kia will launch their 2012 Rio Hatchback with a starting price of $13,600, plus a $750 destination charge (bringing the total to $14,350).

The base car will come only with a manual gearbox, while an automatic transmission equipped version will cost $14,700 ($15,540 with destination included) while the top-of-the-line SX model will set you back $18,000 ($18,750 with destination included). The Rio will come generously equipped with air-conditioning, power steering, stability control, ABS, a hill-holder for manual transmission cars, and a 1.8L 138-horsepower engine capable of returning 30/40 mpg.

The Rio will also offer a start-stop feature, a class exclusive, that will boost city fuel economy to 31 mpg.

Toyota‘s new styling chief, Dezi Nagaya, wants to abandon the company’s previous conservative design language for a new direction that is “…more dynamic, more masculine, sportier, with a more obvious design theme and a face to represent the company and the brand.”

Nagaya’s challenge comes with creating a unified styling language that can span everything from the Land Cruiser to the Camry to the upcoming Scion FR-S, which will be sold as the Toyota FT-86 in Japan. Nagaya said that Toyota will adjust how aggressive their vehicles look, with volume models sticking to a relatively conservative direction while models like the FT-86 would be much more exciting.

Nagaya was previous responsible for the second generation Toyota Prius and the Lexus L-Finesse design language.

[Source: Automotive News]

Cadillac has just launched a marketing push title “New Standards”, highlighting some of the brand’s best features and little known secrets. Along with a new site dedicated to highlighting these traits, the GM luxury brand has just released the first of what appears to be a series of clever videos pitting Cadillac models against their rivals.

In the first spot, there’s a 0-60 drag race between a Mercedes C300 and a Cadillac Escalade. With 403-hp and plenty of torque, the mammoth SUV holds its own. Plus, it’s a great way for Cadillac to highlight the luxury ‘ute’s excellent towing capability too.

Watch the ad after the jump and learn more at cadillac.com/newstandards:

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Toyota has just revealed its first ever mini-car for sale in Japan, the Paxis Space. Supplied by Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., the car is the result of a partnership the two automakers signed last year.

Mini-cars are signified not by size or interior volume but by engine displacement, with the Pixis Space making use of a tiny 660cc engine. Hardly low-tech, the tiny motor receives Dynamic Variable Valve Timing technology as well as turbocharging, although power output numbers have not yet been released. Power is put to the ground to the front wheels through a CVT transmission.

It is, however, quite small, with a wheelbase of 98-inches – roughly two feet more than a Smart fortwo.

These factors combined and Toyota claims a class-leading fuel economy rating of 25.5 km/l, which translates to roughly 60 mpg.

GALLERY: Toyota Paxis Space

Then again… maybe you will. As perhaps the most atrocious creation to ever cross the block at a Barrett-Jackson auction this ostentatious monstrosity sold at the auction house’s Las Vegas event for a not-so-whopping $2,970. And yes, that price even includes the buyer’s commission.

“Turn heads with this one,” read the listing for the colorful Chevy Camaro, which is billed as an original Roly Hernandez creation. (Who?) The car is powered by a 5.7-liter V8 engine with a 4-speed automatic transmission.

But don’t let all the custom paint, wheels and that Supra spoiler fool you, there’s at least one interesting modification worth taking note of. While the front of the car might be all-IROC, the rear is donated from a Corvette. We bet that poor ‘Vette never saw this coming.

GALLERY: Custom 1987 IROC Camaro