Drier Filter Receiver on 2040-parts.com

Acura finds sales, still seeks luxury identity

As Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and BMW battle for luxury brand sales leadership this year, Acura has been flying below the radar -- as usual. Honda's upscale division has had a solid year. Sales are up 24 percent over 2009, outpacing the gains made by luxury's big 3.

Australian Grand Prix (2014): RESULT

The 2014 Australian Grand Prix gets underway It’s all new cars for the first Grand Prix of the 2014 F1 season in Melbourne, but the expectation was that Mercedes would dominate, with Lewis Hamilton sitting on pole and Nico Rosberg sitting third, separated by Red Bull’s new boy, Daniel Ricciardo. In fact, because of engine problems, Hamilton was sidelined from the start and down to fourth by the first corner, with Rosberg making the most of his team mate’s woes and storming through to take the lead, a lead he kept until the end for a dominant win in Melbourne. Behind Hamilton, home boy Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull managed to make the 2014 Red Bull car look immensely promising to take second place, a welcome boost for the troubled Red Bull team, even if world champion Sebastian Vettel suffered the same fate as Hamilton, retiring with engine problems.

Wheel maker connects with exotic clientele via social media

Reaching potential buyers of custom wheels for exotic cars takes more than buying ads in magazines. Miami-based ADV.1 Wheels is building a business fueled by a social-media approach that includes car-forum interaction, photo shoots and short films on the Internet. The company launched a Facebook fan page in late March, has received more than 59,000 “likes” and aims for 100,000--at which point ADV.1 Wheels has promised to give away a set of the company’s Trakfunction wheels.