1987 Ezgo Gas Golf Cart Brake Pedal Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Tomorrow’s world: Fiat's MultiAir engine tech

By Jesse Crosse Motor Industry 14 October 2009 16:50 Fiat this year launches what it claims is a big step forward in variable valve timing: MultiAir. It's the first time that a manufacturer has made a properly variable valve system a production reality, and will slowly be rolled out across most of Fiat's and Alfa's car ranges.How does Fiat's MultiAir vary from existing variable valve timing (VVT) systems?Current VVT systems rely on mechanical systems to open and close the valves. Engineers have long understood the benefits of changing valve opening and closing times to tweak an engine's power and emissions performance, depending on the need for power or parsimony.Valves are an engine's nose and mouth – it inhales through inlet valves and exhales through exhaust valves.

Blogs keep you in touch with the AutoWeek Fantasy Camp

The cars are lined up, the experts are ready and the campers are headed to Michigan for the second-annual AutoWeek/ZF Fantasy Camp, an event for car nuts to talk, test and write about cars. Only 20 campers will be in Dearborn, Mich., this weekend, but don't worry. You can still get in on the action.

Opel/Vauxhall teases Cascada mid-size convertible

Opel/Vauxhall has given us a sneak peek of its new mid-size convertible, the Cascanda, which effectively replaces the Astra Twin Top. The Cascanda features a full-size fabric roof that can be opened or closed with one button up to speeds of 30mph and is the latest model to shun a folding hardtop in favor of the lighter and more practical soft option. The company claims this is its first D-segment cabrio for more than 70 years but, unlike them, we haven't forgotten the Cavialier Convertible of the 1980s (see pic).