'Ultimate Mini' Heading to U.S.

By JERRY GARRETT

Mini enthusiasts in the United States will, after all, get a chance to buy the hot-looking John Cooper Works World Championship 50.

Wheels Blog

Driver-Friendly Smartphones

By JOHN R. QUAIN

Smartphone makers Apple and Research in Motion seem to be moving aggressively into the car market.

Hesitation Complaints on Lexus ES in U.S., Too

By MICHELINE MAYNARD

American safety regulators also received complaints of hesitation or slowing from owners of the Lexus ES 330, a problem revealed in Canada in documents released by Toyota in a court case.

Lane Departure Warning Systems for the Rest of Us

By JOHN R. QUAIN

Sophisticated driver assistance safety technologies, such as beeping lane departure warning systems, may soon be more readily available.

Pulitzers for Automotive Journalism

By RICHARD S. CHANG

Two Pulitzer Prizes were awarded to stories on automobiles — one documented the dangers of distractions while driving and one told the stories of children left alone in cars.

Ford Explorer to Get 4-Cylinder EcoBoost Engine

By PAUL STENQUIST

The automaker is planning to equip the next-generation Explorer S.U.V. with its 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine.

Where Auto Insurance Is Most Expensive

By JENNIFER SARANOW SCHULTZ

Louisiana has the highest average auto insurance rates in the United States, while Maine has the lowest, according to Insure.com.

Toyota Delayed a U.S. Recall, Documents Show

By MICHELINE MAYNARD

Toyota promised a remedy for floor mat problems but did not implement one quickly, raising questions about why federal officials did not force the issue.

• Interactive Timeline: Toyota Crashes, Investigations and Recalls

Auto Ego

When Half a V-8 Is Enough

By RICHARD S. CHANG

When Jackie Saril got to buy the vintage car she’d wanted for years, she chose a mechanical oddity: a 1961 Pontiac with a slant-4 engine.

• Audio Slide Show: Local Hero

My Short, Happy Career in Car Design

By EZRA DYER

Land Rover recently offered a car critic the chance to weigh in on the next generation of the Defender, subjecting his ideas to public scrutiny.

Ex-Copycats Find Their Own Styles

By PHIL PATTON

Kia and Hyundai, the South Korean automakers, have been honing their signature styles as they have been raising their sales.

• Slide Show: Korean Auto Styling

Next Art Car: Built for Speed

By PHIL PATTON

Jeff Koons’s design for the newest in BMW’s series of cars transformed by artists offers a series of colorful streaks suggesting the blur of speed.