Beck/arnley 044-0219 Auto Trans Filter Kit on 2040-parts.com

MIT develops self-transforming materials that behave 'like robots without robots'

A cross-disciplinary research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a suite of programmable materials, including carbon fiber, printed wood grain, textile composites, rubbers and plastics, that self-transform when exposed to an external stimulus. Director of the Self-Assembly Lab, Skylar Tibbits, presented a TED talk on 4D printing in 2013, where he demonstrated how a flat sheet of material could effectively build itself when exposed to water, like a robot without a robot. Following positive feedback from industries including aviation, automotive and manufacturing, his lab has been working on developing materials that change according to different activation sources, including heat, light, and air pressure, in addition to water – all of which have automotive relevance.

Mercedes F1 at Edinburgh’s Race the Runway

The 2012 Mercedes F1 car will be at Edinburgh’s Race the Runway 2014 event In 2013, Mercedes decided to cough up sponsorship to help the Race the Runway event at Edinburgh Airport, and it must have been a success as Mercedes are back again as event sponsors. The Race the Runway event is an opportunity for car owners to blat their cars down the runway at Edinburgh Airport and generate cash for a worthy cause – the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow. Participants have to cough up a £300 donation to the charity to get the chance to see what their car can do, for which they get a free lunch as well as the thrill of flat-out driving on the runway, and can even bring a passenger along.

2013 Honda Civic Ti Limited Edition

Honda has released a limited edition version of the latest Honda Civic – the Civic Ti – with sporty cosmetic tweaks. Honda wants us to think of the Civic Ti as a ‘Sporty’ Civic – despite no changes to the power or chassis – so they’ve bolted a set of ‘Le Mans’ Alloys from Team Dynamics on to the new Civic Ti – the same suppliers that give Honda wheels for their BTCC cars. As well as the alloys, the Civic Ti gets colour coded wheel arches, a leather steering wheel and gear knob and stuff from the Civic 1.8 litre i-VTEC SE on which it’s based including Climate, AUX and USB, steering wheel controls for audio and electric windows.