Chevy Ls Oil Pan 12573704 J9273 on 2040-parts.com

New techniques cut cost of carbon fiber

Carbon fiber, once so costly that it was the preferred material only for fighter planes and supercars, is catching the attention of weight-conscious automakers. Carbon fiber's cost is falling dramatically, thanks to production advances that let suppliers speed the material's finicky, and costly, curing process. One technological breakthrough that makes carbon-fiber auto parts more affordable may come from a process used to make carbon-fiber golf clubs.

Mazda Takuya: Mazda2 Takuya, Mazda3 Takuya & Mazda6 Takuya for 2011

Mazda2 Takuya, Mazda3 Takuya & Mazda6 Takuya for 2011 As we’ve mentioned – more than once – the start of the year is prime time for the ‘Limited Edition’ and ‘Special Edition’ and any other sort of ‘Edition’ car makers can conjure up as they try to keep metal moving. Today, it’s the turn of Mazda. Mazda have done the whole ‘Edition’ bit in spades this time, with the return of the range-topping Mazda Takuya.

Mercedes-Benz SLS prepped to go GT3 racing

Mercedes-Benz AMG pulled the wraps off its new race car on Monday in Oaxaca, Mexico, scene of a commemoration of Mercedes' victory in the 1952 Carrera Panamericana. The new SLS GT3 is a modified Mercedes-Benz SLS intended to meet FIA homologation requirements for the GT3 class in series throughout the world. While it's not known what the production car will look like when it starts going to customers either this fall--according to the press release--or "before the start of the 2011 racing season," according to AMG's Thomas Rappel, the prototype shown in Oaxaca had a full roll cage, a new front skirt with splitter, rear diffusers and an enormous rear wing.