Bendix/king Kt76a Transponder on 2040-parts.com

Vette plant to build high-performance engines

General Motors is moving its Performance Build Center, which let enthusiasts pay $5,000-plus to build the high-performance engine for their Chevrolet Corvette, from Michigan to the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ky. The move is expected to be completed by spring 2014. It will let a Corvette buyer build his own engine, with help from a GM technician, and then see it installed in his car as it goes down the Bowling Green assembly line.

Concept Car of the Week: Ford Synergy 2010 (1996)

In the early 1990s, the US government instigated the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles research program (PNGV). This brought Ford, GM and Chrysler together to collaborate in developing cars that could achieve up to 80mpg, and be ready to market by 2003. While working on the PNGV, in 1996 Ford introduced the Synergy 2010, featuring the firm's 'New Edge' design that debuted a year earlier with the GT90 concept.

Porsche Panamera diesel owners can boost the fun with TechArt power upgrade

The German Porsche tuning haus TechArt revealed a power-upgrade kit for the Porsche Panamera diesel. While the 30-hp bump from the stock 250 horses to 280 won't light the world on fire, the 37-lb-ft jump in torque, from 405 lb-ft to 442 lb-ft, is sure to be a kick in the pants. The 0-to-60-mph time drops by 0.1 second from stock to 6.6 seconds, but the top end is up 3 mph to 153 mph.