Evinrude 40 Hp Flywheel Pn. 580901 on 2040-parts.com

It's (almost) alive: General Motors and NASA develop a humanlike robot for the International Space Station

General Motors and NASA have teamed up to develop Robonaut 2, which will be the first humanlike robot to take up permanent residence on the International Space Station. Known as R2, the 300-pound robot will use its “hands” and “arms” to utilize the tools of the station. It will assist astronauts, which GM says has parallels with helping its workers in factories.

BMW's quirky new i3

The side view of the new BMW i3 electric vehicle takes some getting used to, with no two windows the same size or shape. The i3 is high-waisted through the front door and then there's a notch for a taller rear-passenger window and the rear-hinged rear door and a narrow, tapering window at the rear quarter. Yet when you look at the underlying structure -- made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic -- an innovative choice for a mass-produced car -- there's a giant side opening from front to rear.

Volkswagen Passat Alltrack: The VW Allroad arrives

The VW Passat Alltrack - debuts in Tokyo Volkswagen has jumped on to the Allroad bandwagon with its own take on Audi’s faux off-roader, with the reveal of the 2012 VW Passat Alltrack. As you would expect, the Passat Alltrack is a butched-up Passat Estate with a raised ride height, extra bits of plastic round the bumpers, skid plates, flared side sills and 4WD – VW’s 4MOTION – for more traction in boot sale car parks. But when you don’t need the 4WD, around 90 poer cent of the drive is through the front wheels – saving fuel – with the rear wheel drive only coming in to play when you start to slip and slide.