Dodge Viper Air Cleaner Intake Assembly Gen 4 2008-10 05037935aa on 2040-parts.com

Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R concept (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

Toyota has released fresh information regarding its 414bhp supermini concept ahead of its debut at next month’s Frankfurt motor show. The Yaris Hybrid R drivetrain features Toyota Motorsport’s 1.6-litre racing petrol engine to power the front wheels and twin electric motors generating 60bhp apiece to run those at the back, giving the car all-wheel drive and a combined output of up to 414bhp. The car also makes use of a supercapacitor inspired by Toyota’s TS030 Hybrid Le Mans racer – energy generated under heavy braking is stored and can be quickly deployed to the rear wheels for an extra burst of power.

Nissan Qashqai steering wheel falls off: Recall

Nissan are recalling a number of Qashqai, Qashqai+2 and NV200 vans in the UK after the steering wheel fell of a Qashqai in Finland. As problems with cars go, having the steering wheel fall off in your hands is not one you need to be a mechanic to diagnose. That’s exactly what happened to a Nissan Qashqai driver in  Finland who found his steering wheel had parted company with the steering column when he was parking his car.

Algae-powered street lights eat CO2

Algae powered street lighting (great Photoshop) A French biochemist – Pierre Calleja – has developed a street lighting system using micro algae that absorbs CO2. The need to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere is contentious - to say the least – but as long as governments use CO2 as a stick to beat motorists and empty their bank accounts it’s sensible to look at ways of ‘balancing’ the CO2 emissions of cars. French biochemist Pierre Calleja thinks he’s come up with a solution that would neutralise CO2 emissions from cars by cancelling it out with his micro-algae lighting.