Gasfeder Kofferraumdeckel Stabilus 459771 on 2040-parts.com

Former General Motors CEO Robert Stempel dies

Former General Motors CEO Robert Stempel, who led the automaker during a turbulent period of recession and restructuring in the early 1990s, has died at the age of 77. "Bob was a very popular chairman with employees, and his many accomplishments as a visionary engineer included leading the development of the catalytic converter, one of the great environmental advancements in auto history," GM said in a statement. "His knowledge of battery development led to the push for the EV1 electric car, and Bob continued to build his expertise in the electrification of the automobile after he left GM in 1992." Stempel died Saturday in Florida, the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press reported Monday night.

BMW 4-series configurator goes live

The configurator for the 2014 BMW 4-series is live at www.bmwusa.com. Potential buyers can check out the new coupe and flip between 12 colors, two engines and three main trim levels. We first saw the BMW 4-series concept in Detroit back in January and we took a deeper look in June.

Movie Review: 'Need for Speed'

Even in death, Carroll Shelby still touches us from the heavens above, where we mortals pay tribute in celluloid. The first half of "Need for Speed" (which opens March 14) concerns a Ford Mustang that was "the one Carroll Shelby was building when he died," the characters gush and stumble, barely expressing their praise quickly or coherently enough. "The chariot of the gods," someone says; it's worth "two million, minimum," says someone else.