04 Bmw X5 Sunroof Motor on 2040-parts.com

Skoda Rapid (2012) first official pictures

Skoda has finally taken the wraps off the Rapid, its new compact saloon. The Rapid is destined to sit between the Fabia supermini and Octavia family hatch in the range, when it heads for UK showrooms in the autumn of 2012. Give me the details on the 2012 Skoda Rapid.

VW to intro Passat BlueMotion Concept at Detroit auto show

While performance heads are anxiously awaiting the North American debut of the hot-heat Mk VII Golf R at the Detroit auto show, Volkswagen's Passat BlueMotion Concept offers never-before technology in the Yank/Canuck family sedan segment: a four-pot motor with cylinder deactivation. Based on the EA211 1.4L turbo motor we sampled last year in the Euro-market Audi A3 sedan, the Passat BlueMotion Concept's engine is capable of shutting down the middle two cylinders during cruise, and features the Jetta Hybrid's gearbox, a twin-clutch unit capable of decoupling from the engine during off-throttle coasting. In the Passat's application, the 1.4 puts out 150 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque; VW suggests its highway fuel economy will stand at 42 mpg.

Alfa Romeo has no plans to export the Giulietta to North America

Alfisti, control yourselves: There are no plans right now to bring the sultry Alfa Romeo Giulietta to North America. In the wake of numerous sometimes conflicting reports circulating about the hot hat hatch's future, we wanted a straight answer from Torino. This is what we got: “There are no plans at present to export the Alfa Romeo Giulietta to the North American market,” Richard Gadeselli, vice president of communications for Fiat Group Automobiles SpA, wrote in an e-mail to AutoWeek.