Eagle 104564000 Chevrolet 454 Cast Steel Crankshaft on 2040-parts.com

Fisker battles problems as the Karma finally lurches toward launch

All Henrik Fisker wants is to build his plug-in hybrid cars and deliver them to customers--some of whom have been waiting three years since plunking down $5,000 deposits. Instead, he has been fending off criticisms aimed at his green-car company as shipments of his $103,000 Karma plug-in hybrid sedan have been delayed by cash flow troubles, regulatory snarls and a recall. But when a startup such as Fisker Automotive accepts a Department of Energy loan in a down economy, having the company tossed around like a political football comes with the territory.

2011 Audi A8 loads up on technology, interior comfort

If you had just the side views of the new, fourth-generation 2011 Audi A8 sedan and its predecessor to look at side by side, the differences appear more subtle than stark. There are the fancy LED headlights and relocated body-side character lines on the new A8, but the roofline and body pillars are mostly unchanged. Inside, though, the change is dramatic.

Smart fortwo Edition Limited Three

Mercedes has had stick in the past for playing with its ‘Toy Car’, the Smart. What was a quality maker like Mercedes doing involved with a car the size of the boot on an S Class Mercedes and named after a watch maker (the name stands for Swatch Mercedes Art)? Don’t get me wrong; there was always going to be a market for a car designed to park ‘nose-in’ in busy European streets, but its seemed like Mercedes was stretching itself too thin at a time when it was suffering a big loss in the reputation it had for building high-quality machinery.