Honda Insight Cracks Open Prius Stronghold — Can Startups Step In?

By Josie Garthwaite - Earth2Tech 

The new Honda Insight has gone where no hybrid has gone before: It topped the charts for vehicle sales in Japan last month, vaulting from the 21st spot in March and beating out not only the Toyota Prius, but also all the country's usual top sellers (excluding minicars) the Associated Press reports. An updated version of the Prius with more power than the second-generation model is scheduled to roll out in Japan next week, and despite a $7.8 billion loss in the first three months of this year, Toyota is spending big on a new advertising campaign to snatch the crown.

Art Car bash shows how Houston rolls

The intricately painted cars drove down Allen Parkway Saturday afternoon, drawing squeals from adults and children alike.

Included in the celebrated procession: A giant, rolling living room, complete with couches and a bar.

One car was made to look like a peacock with a giant waving tail.

Then there was the slow- driving vehicle covered with fake marijuana leaves.

Just as it has for more than 20 years, Houston's annual Art Car Parade drew thousands of spectators downtown to watch more than 200 painted cars roll through the streets. 

Art cars are vehicles fancifully decorated as a form of artistic expression. And the parade, run by Houston's Orange Show Center for Visionary Arts, is among the country's premiere events for art car enthusiasts.