13 X 5 1/2 " Steel Rim, Original Part on 2040-parts.com

AutoWeek Design Forum: McLaren evolves with carbon fiber

McLaren Automotive design boss Frank Stephenson detailed his company's transformation from strictly racing to producing road-going models on Thursday at the AutoWeek Design Forum. McLaren is launching the highly anticipated MP4-12C this year, and the company has been hard at work refining the use of carbon fiber, which it pioneered in the iconic McLaren F1. The company cut the amount of time required to design a carbon-fiber tub from 3,000 hours for the F1 to a mere four hours for the MP4-12C.

Audi expands use of diesel in U.S. lineup

Audi of America will begin offering 3.0-liter V6 diesel engines in the A8, A7 and A6 cars and the Q5 crossover beginning next year. The four TDI diesel-equipped models will make their debuts next week at the Los Angeles auto show. Audi already offers a diesel powerplant in the Q7 crossover but the 2013 model features an updated engine.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally to deliver keynote address at CES

Ford is continuing to double-down on its Sync technology as a way to separate itself from competitors, and in that theme CEO Alan Mulally will again deliver a keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in January in Las Vegas. He's expected to unveil the next round of Ford's Sync features at the show, which is a bellwether event for the technology industry. He also spoke at last year's show, and former GM CEO Rick Wagoner addressed it in 2008 as part of efforts by auto execs to showcase new innovations in their cars.