Crown Automotive J0937347 Brake Hose on 2040-parts.com

Inside the Mini compound

Visitors surrender their passports upon entering Mini headquarters in Germany. It's for security reasons mainly, and obviously the passports are returned on the way out. But the symbolism is obvious: Mini is a world a way from parent BMW.

UK Car Sales up again in October 2012

New car registrations rose in October by 12.1 per cent in the UK, the ninth month of 2012 to see rising car sales. The European car market may be in a real mess with carnage looming for production facilities run by mainstream car makers, but the UK continues to grow its new car market with sales in October up by 12.1 per cent. Total new car registrations (which includes pre-reg) rose to 151,252 units, the ninth monthly increase of 2012, and the SMMT are now predicting total sales for 2012 of over 2 million, back to 2010 levels after a fall in 2011 to below the 2 million mark.

Changan Eado

The Changan Eado, a global mid-size sedan, represents not only a new product, but also on a new platform design language for the Chinese carmaker. The Eado has been designed to expand the company into the European market, and Changan's investment into design and production follows the current trend of Chinese automakers aiming to export their models to other markets. The Eado has been designed by Stefano Carminati and is said to combine the features of 'European fashion', 'Japanese fineness' and the needs of Chinese consumers to maximize its appeal.