Carlisle 47-3933 Max-torque Mt Belt - 44-1/16in. X 1-13/32in. on 2040-parts.com

Volkswagen's No. 1 ambition: How it plans to rule the world

When Ferdinand Piech celebrates his 74th birthday on April 17 in his villa in Salzburg, Austria, with his wife, Ursula, his youngest son, Gregor, and other close family members, he likely will look back at his career and break into a big, satisfied smile. The chairman of Volkswagen AG's supervisory board wants to turn Volkswagen Group into the world's largest automaker. And he loves it when a plan comes together.

CCS/GM E-Flex project

Cadillac V-Flex Evan Mai Evan Mai presented the Cadillac V-Flex, a mid-engine electric race car that uses GM's E-Flex platform in a new configuration and advances Cadillac's art & science design language.  The race inspired proportion and layout of the V-Flex draws heavily from Le Mans prototype and F1 cars. Power would come from an electric motor with a range extending internal combustion engine. The Li-ion battery placed in the bottom center of the vehicle could be swapped from underneath the car during pit stops. Aluminum heat sinks in the rear efficiently dissipate heat away from the motor and battery while performing as a rear spoiler.  The front grille serves to communicate the Cadillac design philosophy and also serves as a functional aerodynamic enhancement.

With Krom line, Nissan goes wild on accessories

As if the new Cube weren't accessory-oriented enough, Nissan North America also is launching a U.S. business unit that will push accessories even more. Nissan's Specialty Vehicles Group will create model variations with thousands of dollars of accessories and extra vehicle features.