9e5z5230l Muffler Assy Centre And Rear 10 11 12 Zephyr on 2040-parts.com

Tesla asks NHTSA to investigate fires

In response to concerns following a recent accident which appeared to result from road debris damaging the underside of a battery compartment of a Tesla Model S, causing a fire in the engine compartment, the company has announced that it has requested that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conduct a full investigation into the fire incidents. In a blog post, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote the following about the investigation: "While we think it is highly unlikely, if something is discovered that would result in a material improvement in occupant fire safety, we will immediately apply that change to new cars and offer it as a free retrofit to all existing cars. Given that the incidence of fires in the Model S is far lower than combustion cars and that there have been no resulting injuries, this did not at first seem like a good use of NHTSA's time compared to the hundreds of gasoline fire deaths per year that warrant their attention." Tesla has also released a software update to the cars which will maintain their standard ride height at highway speeds, preventing the air suspension from lowering the car an extra inch at highway speeds for greater aerodynamic efficiency.

And the European Car of the Year 2010 is...

Newsflash: VW's Polo has won the European Car of the Year gong, it was announced today in Madrid. It beat 33 contenders, including six other finalists to the top motoring prize in Europe.The Polo narrowly won with 347 points, putting to rights its trophy-free record in Car of the Year. The runner-up was the innovative Toyota iQ, 10 points behind with 337 points.

Fiat 500C drops cover (and top) for Geneva show

To keep in step with Mini, Fiat will launch a convertible version of the 500 at the Geneva motor show. The 500C comes a couple months after Mini showed its own new convertible at the Detroit auto show. In place of the fixed roof is a power retractable soft top with rear glass window and built-in rear brake light.