1973 Corvette Owner's Manual on 2040-parts.com

Vauxhall Meriva concept teaser (2008)

By Glen Waddington First Official Pictures 21 February 2008 16:22 It's suicide time for Vauxhall's mini-MPV. This sneak preview of the Meriva concept to be unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show reveals suicide-style rear doors that will be a production certainty for the next-gen Meriva. The mini-MPV will retain its B-pillar so that structural integrity is maintained and so the rear doors can be opened independently of the front ones.'The rear-hinged doors are both lighter and less expensive to engineer than sliding doors,' said Sara Nicholson, GM's European product manager for compact cars.

Lotus Evora does special duty for Italian Carabinieri

In a tip of the hat to Britain, the Italian Arma dei Carabinieri, a division of the army charged with civilian police duties, accepted two new Lotus Evora S models for special duty. The headquarters of the Carabinieri in Rome hosted a ceremony culminating in the Evora twins being turned over by Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar. “Everyone knows that Italy has more than its fair share of high-profile sports-car manufacturers, so it’s a real honor for a relatively small British brand to be in this position,” Bahar said.

Ford eyes dandelions as sustainable alternative to synthetic rubber

Ford, in conjunction with Ohio State University, is turning to the humble garden weed as sustainable resource, researching the dandelion's potential use as an alternative to synthetic rubber. While the automaker already makes considerable use of sustainable materials in its vehicles – such as soy foam seat cushions and straw-filled plastic for interior trim – this latest discovery opens up a wealth of new possibilities for automotive applications. According to research conducted by Ford, a milky-white substance that is found in certain dandelion roots can produce a sustainable rubber that could be used to create plastic parts for vehicle interiors.