Dorman H80950 Brake Hose, Front-brake Hose on 2040-parts.com

Demise of kei cars on the horizon?

The kei car has long been a staple of the Japanese automobile industry and its car culture. Too diminutive for Western markets, the tiny cars and trucks are a strong influencer of design in Japan. Now, as The New York Times reports, the Japanese government has hit kei cars with increases in sales tax, gasoline prices and has reduced the kei car tax break introduced to make the cars popular in the first place by 50 percent.

Saab: Turkey’s Brightwell Holdings & China’s Youngman vie for Saab

Will Saab end up in Turkish or Chinese hands? Despite its bankruptcy, it seems China’s Youngman and Turkish equity form Brightwell Holdings ar planning on staging a bid. Saab may be bankrupt – and its car heritage from the Saab Museum up for sale – but that hasn’t stopped interest in Saab as a viable car maker from prospective suitors.

2013 Maserati Quattroporte revealed

Maserati has revealed the new flagship Quattroporte saloon ahead of a debut at the 2013 Detroit Motor Show. The new Quattroporte – revealed this morning ahead of a public debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show – is a bigger, lighter and slicker version of the current car, designed to give Maserati a car that competes on more even terms in the luxury car market. Maserati are being very stingy with detail on the new Quattroporte, so we’re going to have to make some educated guesses.