3.5" Digital/analog Tachometer. Rpm (analog), H2o Temp, Voltage, Oil Psi (dig.) 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.

Ford door protector takes the sting out of dings

Nothing ruins car joy like a door ding--whether it's the first blemish on your pride and joy or the latest door divot. Now, the engineers at Ford in Europe have developed a way to take the sting out of the parking lot--a retractable door-edge protector for the Ford Focus. It's no surprise that this comes from Europe, where roads are narrow and parking spaces are squeezed tight.

A9 cameras already curbing speeders

NEWLY-INSTALLED cameras on one of Scotland's most notorious roads are already cutting drivers' speed. The average-speed cameras on the A9 have not yet been switched on, but have nonetheless seen the number of motorists breaking the speed the limit on the Perth to Pitlochry stretch drop from one in three to one in 10. Work began to install the devices from Perth to Inverness last month, one of a number of planned measures to improve safety on the main route connecting central Scotland and the Highlands.