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

Google continues autonomous car tests [w/video]

Google is leading the charge towards the production of a fully autonomous car, releasing a video earlier this week of the car being tested on a programmed route. Steve Mahan, who is 95 per cent blind, successfully tested the car with Google engineers and a member of the local police close at hand should something go awry. Google kitted out a Toyota Prius with its software, taking the shape of a spinning cylinder on the car's roof, which senses traffic or activity close to the car and automatically adapts to its situation.

Recall is last linked to fire hazard, Ford says

Ford Motor Co.'s new recall of vehicles that pose potential fire hazards will be its last because the latest action covers all remaining cars and trucks with cruise-control switches made by Texas Instruments, even if those switches don't pose safety risks, a Ford spokesman said today. "We did this to reassure customers and make sure there will be no future actions connected to this," spokesman Wes Sherwood said in an interview. "We've gone to extra lengths to include both vehicles with risks and those that don't show risk." Yesterday, Ford announced a recall of 4.5 million vehicles--its eighth in the past decade involving cars and trucks with faulty cruise-control deactivation switches.

Used car market pressure eases

AN INCREASE in the number of used cars coming into the market has “taken the edge off prices” and calmed some corners of the industry, according to used car pricing experts CAP. A greater influx of part-exchange cars arriving at dealers is partly responsible, and with many franchised dealers focusing for the time being on selling those vehicles, competition to acquire stock on the open market has decreased. CAP reports that the pressure has been lifted on some dealers who had become frustrated at how expensive it was becoming to source cars at fair prices.