Ford 2005-2009 Mustang Lighted Sill Plates M-13208-lsvt on 2040-parts.com

Michelin Challenge Design - Deadline for entries April 16

You Can Design America's Next Iconic Vehicle Michelin Challenge Design - the global transportation design competition in its ninth year - is looking for America's next iconic vehicle.  Submissions for the 2009 program will be accepted through April 16, 2008. The winning designs will be evaluated for their uniqueness, emotional appeal, design courage and technical execution by a jury of automotive design professionals and receive prominent display in the MCD exhibit at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. See the video (left) for more information, including interviews with the previous winners and jurors.

This day in Autoweek history: Driving across France in a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

Today we relive a drive across France in the Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth with Cynthia Claes. This potent four-door sedan offered rear-wheel drive, a Borg-Warner five-speed manual transmission and a claimed top speed of 150 mph from its turbocharged 2.0-liter, twin-cam four-cylinder engine. Introduced in 1986, the original Sierra saw 5,542 units constructed; 5,000 were needed for homologation in Class A rally competition, its original purpose.

How Porsche will be integrated into VW

By Georg Kacher Motor Industry 20 November 2009 12:32 Although Porsche won't be a fully integrated member of the Volkswagen group before mid-2011, the sports car maker can even at this early point in the merger no longer make independent strategic decisions. After all, Martin Winterkorn has effectively been appointed head of the Porsche SE Holding which in turn employs the Porsche AG chairman Michael Macht.  With a takeover as costly and complicated to fund as this one – all in all, VW will have to fork out a staggering €16 billion to absorb the latest family member – it is only logical that the new owner wants to get the restructuring process going asap. Overnight, Porsche has become easily VW's most expensive brand.How VW will integrate PorscheTo protect and eventually enhance its value, the powers in Wolfsburg will leave no stone unturned to rearrange the product portfolio, to streamline R&D, to shake up purchasing and production, and to ensure a variety of synergies which are estimated to range from €500m to €750m per year.