4 Runner 90 91 92 93 94 95 Horn on 2040-parts.com

Crunch watch Jan 09: the auto industry in crisis

By Tim Pollard, Ben Pulman and Gareth Evans Motor Industry 30 January 2009 12:39 Friday 30 January 2009• Honda is about to close the Swindon factory for four months when Friday's shifts are finished; the shutdown will affect 2500 of the 3700 staff, who will receive full pay for two months and then 60% pay for the next eight weeks (BBC News)• Porsche has announced a sharp drop in sales and likely profits. It forecasts a 27% drop in 911, Boxster, Cayman and Cayenne sales to around 34,000 units in the six months to the end of January 2009 (Financial Times, subscription required)• Ford wants Washington to do more to stimulate car sales, after posting a record loss of nearly $14.6 billion earlier this week (Detroit News)• Honda's quarterly profit has crashed by 90% – forcing the Japanese car maker to halve its annual profit target (Detroit Free Press)Thursday 29 January 2009• Ford of Europe is a bright spot in the Blue Oval's quarterly results today, making $1.06 billion pre-tax profit in 2008 (up from $997m in 2007). It's the first profit of more than $1bn since 1989 (Automotive News Europe, subscription required)• Volvo suffered a 'disastrous 2008' with a pre-tax loss of $1.46bn.

Mazda2 (2015)

The Mazda2 city car is the fourth production car to be designed using the firm's Kodo form language. As with the CX-5, Mazda3 and Mazda6, it also gets the full set of Skyactiv chassis, engine and transmission technologies that are designed to help distinguish Mazda's products in the crowded mainstream segments in which it competes. There's strong continuity between models - the new 2 features the now-familiar long hood, overhanging nose, bulging front fenders and upkicked beltline used on the larger cars.

Do you want a tiny James May running round your Smartphone?

James May Science Museum App If you fancy the idea of Top Gear’s James May teaching you science then a new App from the Science Museum is right up your street. Regular Top Gear viewers may remember Messrs Clarkson, May and Hammond taking on ‘Art’ a few seasons ago to teach Northerners how to appreciate galleries. Part of what they did – apart from stealing ’Footballists’ to populate the gallery – was an audio guide for the art gallery tour narrated by James May.