Vht Sp125 Vht Engine Enamel on 2040-parts.com

BMW works hard to avoid gas-guzzler tax

BMW AG hopes to get out from under the gas-guzzler taxes that are tacked on to the sticker prices of some of its high-performance models in the United States. Jim O'Donnell, president of BMW of North America, says the company is studying fuel-efficiency improvements that could eliminate the gas-guzzler taxes on its vehicles as early as the launch of their redesigns in the next few years. The 2010 550i GT incurs a $1,000 gas-guzzler fee, for example.

Exclusive: Frank Stephenson to become Design Director at McLaren

Thanks to our contacts in the automotive design community, we've become aware that Frank Stephenson, who until recently was Director of Design at Alfa Romeo, will be taking on a new role as Design Director at McLaren. "McLaren is pleased to confirm that Frank Stephenson will shortly join as Design Director," a company spokesperson told CDN, but would not reveal additional details. Stephenson was not prepared to comment.

One Lap of the Web: Mister Kei-terham

-- This Maybach 62 -- which sold for new at the eyeball-detonating price of $467,600 -- has driven around our fair planet a total of one million kilometers. For those who don't believe in Commie measurements, that's 621,000 miles -- or a trip to the moon and back and then halfway there again. Josef Weikinger, from Lichtenstein, loved his 2004 Maybach 62 so much that he found himself watching the odometer click upwards instead of replacing it for something newer and flashier.