Bmw E28 528e '85 Instrument Cluster Vdo Speedo Meter Tank Fuel Temperature Gauge on 2040-parts.com

Center stack is new high-stakes battleground; showdown with safety regulators looms

For auto suppliers and gadget companies eager to get a piece of the auto industry, the hottest chunk of vehicle real estate now is the center stack. That corridor of interior space, running from the driver's right hip up through the center of the cockpit to the bottom of the windshield, has become a California gold rush of opportunity. But it is less so for traditional suppliers of molded plastics, cables, levers, buttons and radios.

Show Review: Salon Privé 2011

Salon Privé is billed as Britain's most elite car show and, with its lashings of pink champagne, lobster barbecue and attendees who look to have taken a wrong turn from the UK scripted-reality show, Made in Chelsea, it's certainly the glitziest. This year Salon Privé moved from its traditional home of The Hurlingham Club, just a (precious) stone's throw from the real-life set of the aforementioned show, to the grounds of Syon House in outer West London. Home to the Duke of Northumberland, Syon House's Italian Renaissance architecture and lush grounds provide a fitting background for such an event although those familiar with the locales of Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como, the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the heart of Lord March's idyllic West Sussex estate or the dramatic Californian coastline of Pebble Beach may be disappointed.

Remember this day in GM history: The next century of automotive success starts now

President Obama's administration made history today with what some see as nothing short of government meddling in the affairs of big business. What I see is something else: I see the administration showing that it is serious and raising the level of concern from yellow to orange. Now there is a firm deadline and a message to bondholders, United Auto Worker union members and the American public: Do not be surprised if in the next 30 days--or even sooner-General Motors files for a controlled bankruptcy.