Ancor 701030 Double Crimp Ratchet Tool on 2040-parts.com

Concept Car of the Week: Alfa Romeo Navajo (1976)

In 1976, the space shuttle Enterprise was unveiled, Concorde made its first commercial flight and the Cray supercomputer went into service. These events represent a time when ideas transitioned from science fiction to reality. While significant progress was being demonstrated elsewhere, the motoring world gave us the first Ford Fiesta.

New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.

Fiat plans Chrysler makeover in 2011

Chrysler is to get a complete overhaul in 2011. After months of uncertainty, its new masters at Fiat are planning a raft of new models and targets to more than double UK sales. Despite only selling 2692 Chryslers in the UK during 2009, Fiat and Chrysler marketing director Elena Bernardelli told Business Car magazine she expects Chrysler sales to exceed 6000 in 2011.