2005 Dodge Stratus Automatic Transmission 2405348 on 2040-parts.com

AutoStyle Design Competition 2010

Berman SpA, an OEM parts and genuine accessories designer and supplier, will hold the 7th edition of its AutoStyle Design Competition on October 14th and 15th in the company's home city of Mantua, Italy. Held in Polirone Abbey in San Benedetto Po, the two day workshop sets the stage for members of the automotive industry to evaluate and better understand the processes of research and experimentation in the creation and evolution of car models. It will give designers, vehicle technicians and design aficionados an opportunity see model advancement from four different perspectives.

Mercedes launch new 9G-Tronic gearbox on E350 BlueTec

New Mercedes E350 BlueTec (pictured) gets 9-speed 9G-TRONIC auto It’s not exactly a million years ago that automatic gearboxes offered poorer performance and economy than manual gearboxes, and came as standard with just three gears. But now, automatic gearboxes are so good they can  change quicker than any driver and, with the proliferation of eight-speed auto ‘boxes, offer improved economy and performance too. The next logical step is even more ratios in an auto ‘box, and Land Rover has already revealed they’ll be fitting the Evoque with a 9-speed ZF ‘box from 2014, and the new Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a nine-speed auto ‘box too.

Transportation Department clinics to test connected-vehicle communication

Usually communication between cars on the road consists of expletive-ridden road rage or “hey, your headlight’s out!” Thanks to new technology, the exchange of information could soon be far more productive. The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced that it will be holding Driver Acceptance Clinics in six cities across the country to assess how well drivers respond to vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology.