Drivers Side Tail Light Ford Explorer 2001 on 2040-parts.com

CES: GM to open the dashboard to developers

At last year's Autoweek Design Forum, father of the iPod and Nest Labs co-founder Tony Fadell suggested that automakers concentrate on designing and building cars, leaving handset makers to handle infotainment. The latest announcements from Ford and GM -- in conjunction with the International CES -- suggest that automakers would rather treat the dashboard space as a handset. Yesterday, Dearborn, Mich., announced the Ford Developer Program, which opens up Sync to outside application development; now General Motors has announced a similar initiative.

ZF boss thinks 9 speeds is enough for transmissions

The nine-speed transmission might be where the race to add gears ends, ZF Friedrichshafen CEO Stefan Sommer said. He referred to nine speeds as the "natural limit" because going beyond that number adds weight and complexity that cannot be offset by gains in fuel efficiency. "There is no hard line, but you have to consider the law of diminishing returns.

Infiniti M

Less than two years after the mid-life facelift of its 'M' series luxury sedan range, Infiniti has taken the wraps off an all-new 2011 version. Launched 'virtually' at the recent Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the third-generation M is scheduled to be publicly unveiled later this year bearing toned-down styling cues from the company's Essence concept. The influence of the Essence is most apparent in the sedan's undulating character line and the way that the hood plunges down to meet a low-set front grille complete with concave outer edges.