Engine Harmonic Balancer Pioneer 872041 on 2040-parts.com

Video: Autoweek tours the Tesla EV factory

Our own Mark Vaughn recently took a tour of the sprawling California plant where Tesla is gearing up to build as many as 20,000 electric cars per year. Formerly part of the General Motors/Toyota New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. joint venture, the vast space allows huge swaths of factory floor--all newly painted--between each of the machines.

Paris bans some cars to cut smog

PARIS is taking drastic measures to combat its worst air pollution in years, banning around half of the city's cars and trucks from its streets in an attempt to reduce the toxic smog that has shrouded the French capital for more than a week. Cars with even-numbered licence plates were prohibited from driving in Paris and its suburbs today, following a government decision over the weekend. Around 700 police were patrolling the morning rush-hour, handing out tickets to offenders.

New Vauxhall Astra Roadster preview

Rendering of the Vauxhall Astra Roadster With the new Vauxhall Astra starting to be pushed by Vauxhall ahead of its official launch at Frankfurt in September, thoughts are now turning to what derivatives of the new Astra are to come. Vauxhall are already committed to the three door hatchback and the estate as the follow up after the launch, but an obvious contender is an open-topped Astra. And if these renderings are to be believed it will be a bit of a show-stopper.