Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Crunch watch Dec 08: the auto industry in crisis

By Tim Pollard and Simon Stiel Motor Industry 31 December 2008 14:05 Wednesday 31 December 2008• GMAC, GM's finance arm, said it would immediately revise its criteria for providing loans, after the US government bail-out of the General's credit arm. It will now supply credit for anyone with a score of 621 or more on the Fico scale, the scale used to assess Amercian customers' creditworthiness (Financial Times)• The news means that 80% of US consumers would now qualify for a loan from GMAC – which should improve sales in the depressed US market (Detroit News)• Chrysler is being lambasted for taking out full-page adverts in the American national press thanking the nation for supporting its auto industry. But critics point out this is a fresh waste of bail-out resources, as pages in the Wall Street Journal – one of the titles in which the ad ran – reportedly cost up to $264,000.

Hyundai Veloster C3 Roll Top Concept: LA Auto Show

Hyundai has unveiled a convertible Veloster Concept – the Hyundai Veloster C3 Roll Top Concept – at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Why tarpaulins? Because the rolling roof on this Veloster – which rolls backwards and forwards – is made from the side tarpaulin used on an HGV.

Is the DfT trying to nobble 80mph speed limit trials?

With trials proposed for an 80mph speed limit, the ABD are asking if the DfT are trying to fix the trials by running them on congested motorways. When the ConDems came to power, and Philip Hammond was made Transport Secretary, we did hope that might be a sign that government policy on cars would finally make sense, especially when Philip Hammond declared ‘The war on motorists is over‘. Philip’s aim was to look at stuff like national speed limits and create a system that made sense, rather than the silly situation we have where everyone knows you won’t get nicked for 85mph on a motorway unless plod got out of bed the wrong side.