2003 Suzuki Lt 160 Quad Runner Wheeler Shifter Shaft Selector Good Shape Spline on 2040-parts.com

Tesla Model S first EV to earn high praise from Consumer Reports

Tesla Motors Inc.'s all-electric Model S sports car received the highest score in Consumer Reports' ratings -- a 99 out of 100 -- along with widespread plaudits from the magazine's automotive testing staff. The magazine said the $89,650 EV it tested "performed better, or just as well overall, as any other vehicle -- of any kind -- ever tested by Consumer Reports." The last vehicle to achieve a score of 99 in the magazine's testing was the Lexus LS 460L, which was tested in 2007. The Model S, which went on sale in 2012, also marks the first time any electric vehicle has earned a score that high, the magazine said Thursday.

Who's Where: Martin Smith to retire, succeeded by Joel Piaskowski as Ford Europe head of design

Martin Smith, head of Ford of Europe design for the last 10 years, will retire at the end of this year, before which he will work on a project to study the future direction of the company's global design direction. He will be replaced by current head of strategic concepts group, Joel Piaskowski on 1 July. Smith (64) first joined Ford back in 2004, leaving General Motors as director of design for Opel/Vauxhall.

New Infiniti G Series to debut at 2013 Detroit Auto Show

The new 2013 / 2014 Infiniti G Series will debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January before going on sale later in 2013. Infiniti may not have managed to make the biggest mark on the car landscape in the UK, but the news of a new G-Series is interesting because it seems likely it will offer a more interesting design and more Europe-focused powertrains. The current Infini G37 comes as a 3.7 litre V6 and nothing else, which doesn’t exactly help sales in Europe where economy and CO2 levels are a bigger driver of sales than they are in Infiniti’s main market, the USA.