We have a bunch of small stories that have piled up, so here goes the tid bits:

Mazda Motor Corp plans to release vehicles equipped with a hydrogen-powered rotary engine in about three years, President Hisakazu Imaki said Tuesday. "Hydrogen and rotary engines go together pretty well from the viewpoint of safety," Imaki said. The company will decide by the end of this year which car models will be equipped with the new engine. Among the candidate models are the RX-8 sports car and minivans, he added.

The RX-8 has named the 2003 Car of the Year by the Australian-based Wheels magazine. Final results of the annual award were announced on January 20, 2004. There were 28 other cars in the running for the title. To date, the Mazda RX-8 has been named RJC Car of the Year 2004, 2004 Car and Driver's 10 Best, in the running for Road and Track's Best Car, 2003-2004 Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Production Car of the Year, and the 2003-2004 Japan Car of the Year 'Most Fun' special award. In addition, the RENESIS, which powers the RX-8 and is the only mass production rotary engine in the world, was named International Engine of the Year 2003 and RJC Technology of the Year 2004.

Next up, for you toy lovers out there, A new Transformers Alternator Series was revealed at the recent North American International Autoshow. View the animation of him transforming here.