Beck/arnley 101-5777 Lower Ball Joint on 2040-parts.com

PSA Peugeot-Citroen: Factory closures & 8,000 job losses planned

PSA Peugeot Citroen has revealed it is to close one factory, cut job numbers elsewhere and shed a total of 8,000 jobs as demand for its cars dwindles. When we reported last year that Peugeot Citroen were planning to idle their plant in Trnava, Western Slovakia we said that this was just the tip of the iceberg for Peugeot Citroen, and that they would have to take far more drastic action if they were to survive. They must have been listening.

Honda cancels V8 program, S2000 and CR-Z convertible, report says

Fun appears to be on the chopping block at Honda. Plans for the successor to the S2000 sports car, a lineup of rear-drive Acuras, a proposed V8 engine and a drop-top built off the CR-Z hybrid are all dead, according to a report in a British magazine. The reason: Honda is rethinking its product plans as it grapples with the global downturn in sales and economic conditions, Autocar is reporting.

Ford B-Max

A production version of the Ford B-Max mini-MPV will make its debut at next month's Geneva motor show – one year after the concept was announced. The production B-Max stays true to the 2011 concept, with the same lack of a B-pillar between the conventional front and sliding rear doors, which creates a 1,500mm aperture. We'll be interested to learn how this affects both weight and rigidity as well as how much real-world advantage it offers.