Ford 8c3z-25611b60-ab Genuine Oem Center Seat Belt on 2040-parts.com

April new-car sales winners and losers

U.S. light-vehicle sales rose 8 percent to nearly 1.4 million in April, with strong retail sales and pent-up demand adding momentum to the industry's spring thaw. Among major automakers, Nissan Motor Co., Chrysler Group and Toyota Motor Corp.

Audi A3 concept (2011) at 2011 Geneva motor show

Strip away the big wheels, give it a few numberplates and you're looking at the next Audi A3. Audi unveiled this thinly veiled production car at the 2011 Geneva motor show this morning. So this is the next Audi A3? Pretty much, although while it is undoubtedly a sharp looking saloon, from the front three-quarter angle you’d be hard pushed to work out whether this was an A3 or A6.

BMW Vision ConnectedDrive (2011) first pictures

This gorgeous two-seat roadster is the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive, set to be unveiled at the 2011 Geneva motor show. Unlike some of BMW’s other Vision-tagged concept cars, this unfortunately isn’t a thinly disguised production car, but a study designed to highlight the company’s driver assistance systems.  However, although BMW has released no details on the engine or layout under the sexy skin, thankfully the Vision ConnectedDrive’s stunning styling (including the shark nose, wrap-around rear lights and layered body) will find its way onto future production BMWs.  For a start sensors in the headlamps and rear lights monitor the traffic situation and the environment around the car, while instead of wing mirrors there are antennas that receive navigation data and transmit other information. Inside the driver has a 3D head-up display, and the system can project information about the chosen sat-nav route so it appears at the exact point of a possible turn-off. The 3D system also displays information in the foreground or background of the display depending on its relevance.