Camshaft Thrust Plate - 223 6 Cylinder on 2040-parts.com

VW to intro Passat BlueMotion Concept at Detroit auto show

While performance heads are anxiously awaiting the North American debut of the hot-heat Mk VII Golf R at the Detroit auto show, Volkswagen's Passat BlueMotion Concept offers never-before technology in the Yank/Canuck family sedan segment: a four-pot motor with cylinder deactivation. Based on the EA211 1.4L turbo motor we sampled last year in the Euro-market Audi A3 sedan, the Passat BlueMotion Concept's engine is capable of shutting down the middle two cylinders during cruise, and features the Jetta Hybrid's gearbox, a twin-clutch unit capable of decoupling from the engine during off-throttle coasting. In the Passat's application, the 1.4 puts out 150 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque; VW suggests its highway fuel economy will stand at 42 mpg.

How Lumiscaphe software delivers for Eagle Ottawa

Real-time visualization software is transforming the speed and ease with which design teams can develop interior proposals, saving time and money in the process, as Lumiscaphe's visualization designer and Eagle Ottawa China's Design Director of the Asia Pacific region discussed with Car Design News. "Until very recently we relied purely on flat and trimmed leather samples and photography when visiting clients," explains Erik Vogas, Eagle Ottawa China's Director of Design, Marketing and Innovation in Shanghai. "Physical samples are always the most compelling, but we are also impacted by the timing and cost constraints of creating those samples.

Aston Martin DBS Volante set for Geneva debut

Aston Martin will take the wraps off its fastest-ever production convertible at the Geneva motor show when the muscular 2010 DBS Volante makes its global debut. The soft-top version of Aston's beefy DBS will top 191 mph, the company says, and sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 4.3 seconds, figures that put the DBS Volante in the top echelon of open-top supercars. The development of only the 16th convertible in Aston's 95-year history has been eased by dipping into the parts bin.