01 02 03 04 Ford Focus Front Right Door Handle Trim Bezel Grey Passenger Oem on 2040-parts.com

Aston Martin DB9 4WD Plug-in Hybrid revealed by Bosch (video)

Bosch has built a plug-in hybrid Aston Martin DB9 We’ve always believed one of the best uses for hybrid powertrains is to provide extra performance on high-end cars, something Bosh has demonstrated by fitting the Aston Martin DB9 with a hybrid setup. The hybrid DB9 hasn’t been built to preview a production hybrid DB9 (although it probably should) but to demonstrate what Bosch can do with an existing car. Aston Martin donated the DB9 to Bosch for the hybrid project, and Bosh has fitted the DB9 with three electric motors – one at each front wheel and one next to the Aston’s V12 – which gives the DB9 something in the region of an extra 250bhp to play with.

GM to slash global vehicle platforms by more than half, to 14, by 2018

General Motors says it will cut the number of vehicle platforms it uses globally by more than half over the next decade, in a bid to reduce complexity and save on product-development costs. “More of our components will be common, and more of our vehicles will be on global architectures,” GM CEO Dan Akerson told analysts on Tuesday. His remarks came as GM kicked off a series of presentations online, billed as its 2011 Global Business Conference.

Who's Where: Taewan Kim appointed Vice President of Design at GM Daewoo

Taewan Kim has been promoted to Vice President of Design at GM Daewoo. Having started his career in International Automotive Design in the United Kingdom in 1991, Kim was involved in designing various Japanese and European automobiles, including British Airway's First Class seat design. From 1995, he served as Chief Exterior Designer at the former Daewoo Motor Company, leading the exterior design of the Magnus, Lacetti, Kalos and Matiz.