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Flying car makes debut in New York With folding wings to reduce width to garageable status, the Terrafugia Transition Roadable Aircraft fits into the “light sport plane” category and delivers 35 mpg fuel economy on the road. The company claims 100 orders with $10,000 deposits for the $279,000 vehicle. Read full story

2013 Avalon styling surprises in New York It's the first Toyota car that not only was completely designed in North America at Calty, but also is being carried all the way through to production by the engineering team in Ann Arbor, MI. The new car takes a new direction in styling, is lighter, and puts more emphasis on handling. Read full story

Mercedes' 6th-generation SL is light in weight, heavy on technology The car's development director and aerodynamics specialist reveal the finer design and engineering points of the two-seat, high-performance, folding hardtop luxury cruiser. Read full story

Mazda CX-5 gets Skyactiv treatment The CX-5, replacing the CX-7 in the U.S., has window sticker EPA numbers as high as 26/35 mpg. Although 5.6 in (143 mm) shorter, it has a larger interior package than the CX-7. The AWD unit is redesigned to save 86 lb (39 kg), and the vehicle is at least 220 lb (100 kg) lighter, up to 575 (261 kg) lighter for heaviest models. Read full story

Jaguar launches its first large station wagon Jaguar has never before produced a station wagon variant of a large model, with the only previous station wagon in the company’s history being the X-Type. That gap was filled with the unveiling of the XF Sportbrake at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, based on the revised 2012 model year variant of the XF saloon. Read full story

Unified FEA saves on back-and-forth of windshield wiper design While the blades need periodic replacement, the wiper system itself is considered one of the most reliable of vehicle devices, with a design life average of 1.5 million wipes. Reliability and motorist safety are key tenets of Hyundai Motor Co., so it comes as no surprise that the windshield wiper has been the focus of considerable attention at the company’s R&D center. Read full story

STMicroelectronics chip saves door space, cost Taking aim at upscale vehicles, which have many features squeezed into their doors, the chip eliminates the electromechanical relays now used for window control. Read full story

JSP develops composite door-panel prototype A new concept for a 100% plastic prototype door panel has the potential to provide a weight reduction of up to 40% compared to conventional steel door panels but with equivalent performance (static strength), according to two JSP engineers who will present details of the prototype at the SAE 2012 World Congress in Detroit. Read full story

200-mph electric racecar aims to break track records Lola-Drayson’s 850-hp Formula E prototype sports active aerodynamics, wireless charging, and regenerative suspension dampers. Read full story