An artistic partnership with the Special Olympics, an invitation to return to childhood with a driving noises computer program, advanced headlight technology, and a transmission milestone were among the items being promoted by automakers recently.

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[naviga:li]Toyota has partnered with the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles and local artists to debut three public art pieces commemorating the 2015 Special Olympics World Games. The murals by Cryptik, David Flores, and Kent Twitchell are located near venues hosting events in the games. Toyota is also featuring a "Share the Journey" campaign during the Special Olympics World Games, asking people to share encouragement and stories for the athletes at

sharethejourney.toyota.com or on Twitter with the hashtag #sharethejourney.[/naviga:li][naviga:li]Remember when you used to play with toy cars and made the driving noises for them? Volkswagen has launched a Web site entitled "Unleash Your Rrrr" allowing visitors to relive this experience by "driving" a Golf R with the sound of their voice. The site analyzes each user's unique voice profile as they simulate a revving engine, braking, drifting, and other driving techniques, then sets them to a custom video of the vehicle in action. Visit the site at

rrr.vw.com.[/naviga:li][naviga:li]Ford is working on improving its headlight technology to better illuminate pedestrians, animals, and other hazards during nighttime driving. The Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System uses GPS to anticipate curves and dips in the road and adjusts headlights accordingly. A forward-facing video camera will assist in this lighting when GPS information is not available, and the system will be adaptive so the best lighting can be used when a driver goes over the same road a second time. Ford is also developing infrared technology to identify humans and animals from as far as 120 meters away.[/naviga:li][naviga:li]Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently celebrated the production of its one millionth TorqueFlite 845RE eight-speed automatic transmission. The component, which is used to power six FCA models, was produced at a plant in Kokomo, Indiana. The advanced transmission is estimated to save drivers a cumulative total of 700 million gallons of gasoline while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 6 million tons.[/naviga:li][/naviga:ul]