10.25 Ford Open Carrier on 2040-parts.com

EPA calls for lower-sulfur gasoline

The EPA proposed a package of rules Friday that includes cleaner gasoline and stricter limits on pollution from the tailpipes of cars, despite objections from the oil industry. The rules, known as Tier 3, have been supported by car companies because they would bring U.S. standards into alignment with those of California, where gasoline must have a lower sulfur content to help reduce tailpipe emissions.

2012 European Grand Prix Qualifying: Vettel takes pole with Hamilton alongside

The 2012 European Grand Prix on the street circuit in Valencia sees Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel on pole position with Lewis Hamilton’s  McLaren alongside. Slowly, but not yet completely, Red Bull and McLaren seem to be getting a handle on the topsy-turvy 2012 Grand Prix Circus. Despite serious challenges in final qualifying, it was Sebastian Vettel who set a blistering time to take pole, his third pole of the 2012 season, 33rd of his career and third at Valencia.

German new car sales drop 11 per cent – pre-reg accounts for 33.5 per cent

New car sales in Germany dropped by 11 per cent in September with pre-reg cars accounting for over a third of all sales. That drop of 11 per cent in Germany is despite deep discount offers – an average of 12.2 per cent in September – with even the previously invincible Mercedes and VW having to offer discounts of up to €3k, despite which VW’s sales fell by 20 per cent in Germany and Mercedes by 12 per cent. What’s perhaps most interesting about the decline in car sales in Germany is the number of pre-reg cars sold (pre reg cars are cars registered by dealers to hit sales targets and then sold at a discount of up to 25 per cent).