Gates 39148 Belt Tensioner Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Bondholders snub GM, bankruptcy filing likely

Nowhere near enough General Motors bondholders agreed to exchange their debt for stock before a midnight Tuesday deadline, making a bankruptcy filing by the automaker highly likely. GM had set a threshold of 90 percent of the $27 billion in bond debt it wanted to exchange for 10 percent of the stock in a reorganized company for the deal to take place. In a statement Wednesday, GM said the amount of notes tendered was substantially less than the 90 percent target.

BMW: Carbon fiber goes high volume in 2013

BMW AG plans to begin high-volume production of carbon fiber parts in two years, making it a strong contender to be the first automaker to move beyond limited-edition use of the exotic material. But Daimler AG, which has taken steps aimed at making carbon fiber parts in 2012, is among the automakers racing toward the same goal. In 2013, BMW will start building the i3 electric car, a vehicle that features a passenger cell--the protective shell around the passenger compartment that ensures the integrity of the vehicle in a crash--made of plastic reinforced with carbon fiber.

McLaren MSO reveals MSO 650S Coupe Concept

The McLaren 650S MSOP Concept (pictured) showcases McLaren’s custom options It’s only a few months since we had a McLaren MSO 12C Concept from McLaren Special Operations (MSO) – Maclaren’s division that titivates cars for a significant wad of cash – to showcase just what MSO can do for the 12C. But with McLaren deciding that the 12C is biting the dust in the face of the new 650S, it’s time to update that concept to one that’s current, hence the arrival of the McLaren MSO 650S Concept. The changes to the 650S by MSO are designed to illustrate what McLaren can do to make your 650S as individual as you are, and the updates included on the concept can be applied to both the Coupe and Spider versions of the 650S and even the 12C.