Chevy Chrome Valve Covers 454 Big Block Stamped, Tall on 2040-parts.com

New designs make car buyers happy, J. D. Power APEAL survey finds

Buyers of 2011 vehicles are happier with their choice if the car or truck is a new design instead of a carryover model, according to a survey results released on Wednesday, even though new designs are more prone to quality problems. The Hyundai Equus luxury sedan was the top-ranked car in J. D.

Lincoln's big ad is a FAIL, LOL, OMG

The automotive punditsphere mocked Lincoln's "Steer The Script" campaign when it was announced, in typical teaser form, a few months ago. Well, here it is -- what's essentially the culmination of Lincoln's hopes and dreams; its big comeback splash to the largest American audience of the year, distilled into a breathtaking work of staggering incompetence. Sometimes, the pundits are right.

Bentley uses 3D printing to prototype new designs [w/Video]

3D printing is changing the way the world makes things by helping people of all disciplines to enhance and refine their ideas cheaply, quickly and effectively.  Bentley is the latest carmaker to utilize the technology to fabricate and prototype different parts to see how they'll look and work on the finished design. Using 3D printers, designers can produce parts from the exterior and interior such as the grille, tires, headlamps and door handles as well as combine different types of contrasting materials, ranging from hard plastics to rubbers of different tensile strengths.  The technology allows the user to create a solid 3D object straight from a digital model by printing layers of material on top of each other. This process rapidly decreases the delivery time, as parts can be printed overnight, and allows designers to be more creative in their ideas because of the reduced cost. Bentley isn't the first carmaker to use 3D printing technology. Audi announced last year it was beginning to prototype vehicle parts using 3D printers.