Arctic Cat * Drive Belt Oem High Perf * 0627-002 * 1990-96 El-tigre/ext/jag on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes SLA Roadster looks likely

As car manufacturers start to look with fresh eyes at smaller, cheaper cars, reports from Germany confirm that Mercedes is close to committing to the SLA, a small Roadster to be based on the next generation A-Class platform. The original SLA concept was shown at Detroit in 2000, and aimed to slot in beneath the SLK. But at that time Mercedes didn’t have a suitable platform on which to base the car, and the project was shelved.

Japan automakers extend shutdowns as quake impact widens

Japan's seven big automakers are extending nationwide production shutdowns amid growing concern about supply chain interruptions, power shortages and export difficulties following the massive earthquake and tsunami that hammered northern Japan, killing thousands. Toyota Motor Corp., one of the few automakers with a major manufacturing presence in the quake zone, suspended all manufacturing--at both assembly and parts plants--on Monday and extended the shutdown through at least Wednesday as an added precaution. The company will lose output of roughly 40,000 vehicles over the three-day period, spokesman Dion Corbett said.

National Motorists Association says get out of the way

This is a no-brainer to AutoWeek readers, but the National Motorists Association has launched a publicity campaign urging drivers to not block the left lane and cause traffic problems. The group has named June "Lane Courtesy Month," which coincides with higher traffic volumes for the summer. The group says a driver is lane-courteous when he or she is keeping clear of the left lane unless passing slower-moving vehicles, then moving back into the right lane as soon as possible.