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Beanz Meanz More Eco-Friendly Future Fords

THE car industry is full of interesting and unusual business partnerships, but this latest tie-up between Ford and Heinz promises to be one of the more intriguing. Far from seeking to produce 57 varieties of any particular new Ford model, the two firms are exploring the use of tomato fibre to develop a sustainable composite materials for use in vehicle manufacturing. For example, boffins believe that dried tomato skins could become the wiring brackets in future Ford vehicles or the storage bin a customer uses to hold coins and other small objects.

BMW recalls 32,000 vehicles for fire risk

BMW is recalling about 32,000 cars and crossovers because the circuit board for the electric auxiliary water pump can overheat. The recall covers the 5-series sedan and Gran Turismo, the 7-series, the X5 and the X6 from the 2008 to 2011 model years equipped with V8 or V12 engines. Two engine fires have resulted from 102 failures, according to BMW.

NHTSA opens investigation into Ford Taurus throttle issue

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a preliminary investigation into claims of the throttle sticking open on the Ford Taurus from the 2005-06 model years. NHSTA says there are 14 claims of a stuck throttle in the Taurus, possibly because of the cruise-control cable becoming detached. No injuries have been reported.