Boeing 747 Aircraft Wheel on 2040-parts.com

Ralliart unit folds, but Mitsubishi keeps name

Mitsubishi will continue using the “Ralliart” brand name despite the demise of the Japanese racing parts company this week. Ralliart Inc., a wholly owned Japanese subsidiary of Mitsubishi Motors Corp., informed global distributors on Wednesday that it would cease business operations March 31. In the United States and Europe, Mitsubishi markets a Ralliart sports version of its Lancer, which has become a sporty halo car for the brand.

Jaguar tops J. D. Power Survey again in 2013

Even though the Jaguar XF actually slipped from 2nd to 3rd in the top cars section (although it was the ‘Best Executive Car’), behind the Skoda Superb and Skoda Yeti, it received five star ratings for performance, service and running costs and owners rated it as ‘Excellent’ across all categories. And it was more good news for Jaguar Land Rover as Land Rover was rated the most improved brand in 2013, jumping in to the top ten (in 6th place) for the first time, with Freelander owners noting an improved dealer experience and Discovery owners reporting 30 per cent fewer faults – and actually leading the SUV sector for reliability. That’ll help the still lingering perception that JLR’s cars can be ‘fragile’.

Lotus named lead marque for Goodwood

Lotus will take a place of pride as lead marque at June's Goodwood Festival of Speed, backed by an expected record attendance of more than 40 historic racing Lotus models. “Lotus is an incredibly important British car marque, and we plan to have maybe the greatest concentration of a single marque that we've ever had at the festival,” said Lord March, whose Goodwood historic house provides the backdrop for the four-day event beginning on June 28. Emerson Fittipaldi will be reunited with his championship-winning Lotus 72 and an early Lotus 7 race car, a type that many drivers--including British Le Mans legend Derek Bell--cut their teeth on in their formative years.