The piano black lacquer trim is now regularly seen in luxury automobile interiors, however, BMW’s custom-appointment division has taken things a step further! Teaming up with Steinway & Sons, BMW Individual presents the 7 Series Composition. The unique trim level can be ordered in either an ebony or ivory finish with a special three-layer clearcoat. A gold pinstripe and special 20-inch wheels further distinguish the exterior, while the passenger compartment is decked out in merino leather (black or white to contrast) lambswool carpets, Alcantara headliner, special embroidery, and piano black trim.

According to Olivier Francois, president and chief executive officer of the Chrysler brand, the company will show off the droptop version of the 200 at the 2011 New York Auto Show. Although details are limited, we expect to see the car boast either the 2.4-liter four-cylinder or an optional 3.6-liter V6 or both. The 200 Convertible could boast as much as 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, and given the timing, the car is likely to be a 2012 model.

Every year Mini teams up with some of the top fashion designers to create special art cars which are often auctioned for the benefit of HIV/AIDS research and awareness. This one, however, is something different. For this unique Mini, British musician Paul Weller was brought on board. Known as “The Modfather,” Weller was part of such bands as The Jam and The Style Council before going solo. The special pink-striped Mini he designed is being auctioned online to benefit the War Child and Nordoff Robins charities. The auction has about a month left to go, with bidding currently sitting just shy of $20k.

Congrats to Larry Dixon on his first round win and capturing the 2010 NHRA Top Fuel Championship!!!

The number of Ford Windstar minivans involved in the rear axle recall are estimated at about 575,000!! The 1998-2003 model year vans have suffered cracked and damaged rear axles, especially in the salt belt. Owners have been dropping them off at Ford dealers to be repaired, and according to a Ford rep, most of them will be back on the road this year. Another clump of them won’t be repaired until early next year, however, because they’re waiting on components that will arrive in two months. This means dealers just have to sit on growing fleets of aged Windstars, and Ford has to pay for that storage and the cost of rental cars for owners. In addition, this still doesn’t address the expanded investigation into front subframe corrosion.