Centric Parts 104.10450 Front Super Premium Semi Metallic Pads on 2040-parts.com

Volkswagen hits back, weighs making a bid for Porsche

Volkswagen is considering an audacious reverse-takeover bid for its majority shareholder, Porsche, in a twist in the drawn-out struggle for control between the two German carmakers. The Volkswagen Group's supervisory board is said to be weighing the possibility of purchasing Porsche AG, in a move that would relieve its holding company, Porsche SE, of massive debt that industry analysts suggest the company may not be able to fund should the world's financial crisis drag on well into 2010--a scenario put forward this week by the International Monetary Fund. The secret plan emerged as shareholders were set to convene at Volkswagen's annual meeting on Thursday, and it comes after Porsche revealed that it is carrying some 9 billion euros ($11.73 billion) in debt, most of it owing to interest on loans taken out to purchase its 50.8 percent stake in VW.

The hot-rodding world's Great 8: Video

February in Detroit means a few things: winter is almost over, the Red Wings are making a playoff push and the Detroit auto show has come and gone. There's no better time for tens of thousands of customizers to descend on the city's Cobo Hall for the annual Autorama, the premier hot-rod and custom show in the country. We told you about this year's Ridler Award winner, Dwayne Peace of Tyler, Texas.

Toyota smashes electric car lap record at Nurburgring

Toyota has set a new electric car record at the Nurburgring – with a silent but speedy 7min 47.794sec lap of the Nordschleife. You can watch the record lap in our video above. Ring specialist Jochen Krumbach was at the wheel of the Toyota Motorsport EV P001 racer, obliterating Peugeot's previous 9min 1.338sec record in the EX1 concept car.