Beck/arnley 052-3329 Front Crankshaft Seal on 2040-parts.com

VW Passat R-Line introduced

The VW Passat R-Line introduced in the new Passat range But the Passat R-Line (which will be available in both saloon and estate versions) is not really an addition to the Passat range, rather a re-working of the current model options. The Passat Sport and Passat SEL are dropped, and the new range now comprises S, R-Line and Highline. But, just as with the Tiguan R-Line, this is not a power upgrade but merely a cosmetic one.

New Mercedes SLK 55 AMG (2012) blasts in

The new Mercedes SLK 55 AMG arrives ahead of Frankfurt Just last week we had the first diesel SLK arrive, promising a new era of fun and frugal Mercedes roadster goodness – but with an oil-burner. But now we’ve got the ‘Daddy’ SLK, the new 2012 Mercedes SLK 55 AMG, revealed ahead of its debut at Frankfurt next month. Really, however much we may admire the SLK diesel – and think it a damn fine road for Mercedes to go in our eco-obsessed world – it’s the new SLK 55 that incites real lust.

Old is new again: Will a floor-hinged throttle pedal be in your future?

If you think that every little nut, bolt, switch, gear or widget in your new car wasn't scrutinized by a team of highly educated, overworked car geeks (read: engineers), think again. A couple of recent conversations with automotive engineers confirmed that virtually nothing that goes into a car today is taken for granted. During the recent Pebble Beach weekend, I had the pleasure of spending time with an engineer for Jaguar, and the subject turned to materials used for various switches in the cabin.