Crankshaft From Johnson 18hp Outboard Boat Motor, 3047** on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes-Benz axes Maybach

High ranking Mercedes-Benz sources have confirmed to Autoweek that the underperforming Maybach brand will be officially killed off in 2013. The decision to disband Mercedes-Benz’s upper luxury marque comes after a decade of disappointing sales for the Maybach 57 and 62 and a recent decision from the German car maker’s chairman Dieter Zetsche not to push ahead with the development replacement models – the likes of which were tentatively due out in 2014 – owing to what one insider describes as a “positive move to focus greater attention on the Mercedes-Benz brand” . “We’ve come to the conclusion that it is better to cut our losses with Maybach than to continue into an uncertain future with a brand that has failed to live up to original sales expectations," the insider said.

Bad British drivers 'in denial'

A NEW study has uncovered the extent to which British drivers will stubbornly refuse to admit being wrong or behaving badly on the road. Almost all (98.7%) UK motorists believe they are safe drivers, but only 22.6% of those who had an accident admitted being at fault, which seems to display a degree of denial in British drivers when it comes to behaving badly on the roads. Carrot Insurance, which specialises in providing telematics-based policies to 17-24-year-olds, carried out the survey ahead of this week’s National Road Safety Week campaign and discovered several surprises.

Car companies, community & a cause

Last Saturday night (April 20) was one of those I-can't believe-I-get-paid-to-do-this kind of evenings. My wife Maria and I -- along with 550 of our closest friends -- were invited to attend the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute's 31st annual dinner. The name sort of says it all, and the dinner is a simple enough concept that even I get it: It's held to raise money.