2004 Ford Expedition Owners Manual Set on 2040-parts.com

New techniques cut cost of carbon fiber

Carbon fiber, once so costly that it was the preferred material only for fighter planes and supercars, is catching the attention of weight-conscious automakers. Carbon fiber's cost is falling dramatically, thanks to production advances that let suppliers speed the material's finicky, and costly, curing process. One technological breakthrough that makes carbon-fiber auto parts more affordable may come from a process used to make carbon-fiber golf clubs.

Video: Ken Block tears through Hollywood in Gymkhana Four

We've missed you, Ken Block. We know it was only last September that he brought us Gymkhana Three, the DC Shoes commercial with the rally-ready Monster Energy Ford Fiesta as the star. But he is back, at Universal Studios, Calif., with his new car--and a new nine-minute “Hollywood Megamercial.” The new car is called the HFHV, for Hybrid Fiesta Hoonage Vehicle.

It's (almost) alive: General Motors and NASA develop a humanlike robot for the International Space Station

General Motors and NASA have teamed up to develop Robonaut 2, which will be the first humanlike robot to take up permanent residence on the International Space Station. Known as R2, the 300-pound robot will use its “hands” and “arms” to utilize the tools of the station. It will assist astronauts, which GM says has parallels with helping its workers in factories.