the car will tend to assume a shape and the A-pillar position may interfere with the driver's vision. The C-pillar usually is the last structural pillar in most forms. Its angle and position defines the split between cargo volume and rear-seat passenger volume and headroom. In general, the base of the C-pillar is located over the rear wheel arch in most sedans (saloons) and coupes. US DOT Term: Means any structure, excluding glazing and the vertical portion of door window frames, but including accompanying molding, attached components such as safety belt anchorages and coat hooks, that (1) supports either a roof or any other structure (such as a roll-bar) above the driver's head or (2) is located along a side edge of a window. Plenum The area at the base of the windshield where the wipers are parked. Also refers to the main chamber in an intake manifold. Ponton styling A 1930s–1960s design genre when distinct running boards and fully articulated fenders became less common and bodywork began to enclose the full width and uninterrupted length of a car in a markedly bulbous, slab-sided fashion. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle A hybrid vehicle that can be plugged into the electric grid to recharge its battery to reduce gasoline usage. Powertrain All the components that generate power and deliver it to the tyres. Q Quarter-panel (or rear quarter panel) refers to the panel at the back sides starting at the rear edge of the rearmost doors, bordered by at top by the trunk (boot) lid and at bottom by the rear wheel arches ending at the rear bumper. This is the opposite of the fender. Literally, the term originally referred to the rear quarter or the car's length. R Rake The first application of the term rake in vehicles was probably the tilting back of the windshield's top. Nowadays rake refers to the angle between the overall vehicle and the horizontal axis of the ground. If the back is higher than the front, the vehicle is said to have positive rake; if the front is higher than the back, this is negative rake. In early hot rod and custom cars, positive rake was created by varying tire size, and/or by suspension modification. In today's body design, positive rake is integral in some vehicles' styling, e.g. Mercedes E350 sedan, circa 2012/13. Roadster An open vehicle, usually with 2 doors, with a removable and/or