Air Check Valve on 2040-parts.com

Team Lotus snaps up Caterham +video

Team Lotus buys Caterham Cars - and a Team Lotus Special Edition Seven to celebrate Team Lotus – that’s the ‘Lotus’ F1 run by Tony Fernandes, not the Hethel mob run by Dany Bahar – has bought Caterham Cars from Corven Ventures for an undisclosed sum. Which is all very apposite, what with Caterham being the spiritual home of Colin Chapman’s Lotus Seven and keeper of the Chapman ethos of lighter is better. To tie Caterham back in to the Lotus name could work wonders for sales.

Audi plans expansion of hybrids, electrics

Audi plans a rapid expansion of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years as a key component in Volkswagen Group's strategy to dominate the alternative-powertrain market by decade's end. Michael Dick, Audi's board member for technical development, told Automotive News that the next-generation A6 sedan will have the potential to be a full hybrid by the end of 2012. The A6 would join the recently introduced hybrid A8 sedan at the Geneva auto show and the soon-to-be-launched Q5 hybrid crossover.

More power and track bias for ultimate Megane RS

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 05 October 2006 01:07 Renaultsport is unleashing its most honed Megane yet – the catchily named 230 F1 Team R26. The £19,750 hot hatch is based on the track-focused 225 Cup edition, but with power bumped to 230bhp, tauter suspension and a limited slip differential to boost traction. A rasping sports exhaust and ECU tweaks boost the 2.0-litre turbo engine’s power from 225 to 230bhp.