1999-2003 Acura Tl Type S Black Leather Shifter Shift Knob Genuine on 2040-parts.com

Kia goes (dark) green

By Jesse Crosse Motor Industry 23 September 2008 11:00 Kia has unveiled a portfolio of new environmental technologies, including a 1.4-litre Ceed with stop-start (due in the UK in 2009), a Ceed hybrid and the latest version of its fuel cell-powered Sportage. The Korean manufacturer is investing heavily in research and development and will increase its spend on R&D from £2.2 billion this year to £2.6 billion by 2010, combined with a 40 percent increase in manpower at its research centres around the globe. The money is being spent on developing downsized, turbocharged engines, efficiency improvements to conventional engines such as friction reduction and the separation of accessories like water pumps from the engine.

Volvo to shake up S, V, C and XC badges

Volvo will overhaul its naming system in the coming years - removing some of the uncertainty over odd numbers in the same range, such as the S40 and V50.Chief executive Stephen Odell today admitted he found Volvo's badges confusing when he first joined Volvo two years ago. 'When I arrived at Volvo I struggled to understand the nomenclature,' he admitted. 'Yes, we will be changing it.'Under the new naming system, the S40 and V50 would carry the same number.

One Lap of the Web: A Bentley reborn, goldRush shenanigans and squirrel-dodging in a BMW

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- At first glance, this 1953 Bentley R-Type Special Roadster looks like a typical old-school British drop-top.