Gmb 220-1670 Driveshaft U-joint on 2040-parts.com

Chief engineer of Ford Focus quits to lead German yacht builder

Jens Ludmann, chief program engineer for Ford Motor Co.'s new Focus, is quitting the automaker to head a German-based maker of luxury yachts. Ludmann led a team at Ford's European base in Merkenich, near Cologne, Germany, that developed the Focus, the first car from CEO Alan Mulally's global One Ford strategy and flagship of the company's new range of global C-segment products. The German native, who joined Ford in 2000, will become CEO of Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH, effective Aug.

Nissan Juke Nismo to debut at Le Mans

It's no Juke-R, but the more reasonable Nissan Juke Nismo will make its world debut at Le Mans this weekend. It seems only fitting, considering Nissan is providing power for a quarter of the field at the famous race. The Juke will get an enhanced version of the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine as well as some body and suspension work.

BMW Roadster Concept: BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Geneva debut

BMW Vision ConnectedDrive We reported the other day that BMW were taking a roadster concept to the Geneva Motor Show, a car we expected to point the way to a new, smaller roadster – the BMW Z2. But it seems to be much more than just that. The BMW Vision ConnectedDrive – for that is the catchy little moniker BMW has attached to this concept – is a showcase for BMW technology and the layered styling language we’ve already seen in the Vision EfficientDynamics concept (can’t we have some snappy little monikers instead of Anglicising the German practice of just joining words together in a line to make a new word?).