02-06 Nissan Altima Rear Bumper Primered Plastic Cover V6 3.5l Se/sl Capa on 2040-parts.com

New Peugeot 208 production cut as sales disappoint

Peugeot is cutting back on production of the new 208 as its sales fail to reach expectations, just six months on from launch. It’s not enough when Europe is ion the midst of an economic crisis and car buyers are polarised between ‘budget’ cars that offer more for less than mainstream offerings and ‘Premium’ models that are bought on the back of a preconceived notion of more kudos. That leaves car makers like Peugeot (and Renault, Citroen, Vauxhall, Ford, Opel, Fiat…) between a rock and a hard place, unable – or unwilling – to compete with the offerings from Korea and saddled with a brand that doesn’t have the ‘class’ of an Audi or a BMW or a Mercedes or even a VW.

Concept Car of the Week: Lancia Bertone Sibilo (1978)

The second half of the ‘70s saw automotive design fall into an era of uninspired and uninspiring economic cars finished with cheap plastic add-ons and stuffed with beige itchy fabrics. Working from the little Bertone studio in Turin, it seems Marcello Gandini didn't get the memo and carried on drawing futuristic wedgey supercars. With the Sibilo, he pushed his signature angular style to a new level of modernity.

Chrysler performance guru Dan Knott dies at 51

Chrysler senior vice president Dan Knott emerged as an unquestioned powerbroker in the industry, deftly navigating the flying circus that can be automaker-supplier relations. But enthusiasts of all stripes owe Knott a debt of gratitude, as he was a performance guy long before he became a well-known industry executive. Knott, 51, died April 29 after a battle with cancer.