Cardone 50-3190 Power Brake Unit on 2040-parts.com

Nissan creates a self-cleaning Note – and this one’s for real. (video)

The Nissan Note that cleans itself The Sunday chore of cleaning the car is beloved (and loathed, in equal measure) by those who’d rather do it themselves than pay a man with a bucket, a sponge and a chamois  to oblige. But regular car washing – for anyone – could be a thing of the past thanks to a new nano-paint technology. The newly developed super-hydrophobic and oleophobic paint manages to repel water and oil, which means stuff like everyday dirt, mud and rain don’t have the chance to cling to the car’s paintwork.

Executive touch for Volkswagen Passat

THE POPULAR Volkswagen Passat has been given two new generously equipped trim levels to mark its final months of production. It is due to be replaced by an all-new model within the next year, so in an effort to sell off as many as possible before that time, Volkswagen has introduced the Executive and Executive Style trim levels in place of the previous Highline. Both the saloon and the estate body styles can be ordered with the new specification.

Fisker releases Nina drawing ahead of New York auto show

Fisker Automotive has had its share of setbacks lately, but the company is continuing with plans to reveal a new model, called the Nina, at the 2012 New York auto show. On Thursday, the firm released a doodle that might be a teaser for the Nina. From what we can see, it might also be a drawing of a spaceship, a seabird's head or a high-tech pair of scissors from Fiskars.