Harley-davidson Aermacchi Handlebar Lever Pivot Pin 45036-61p New Old Stock Jp on 2040-parts.com

MIT develops self-transforming materials that behave 'like robots without robots'

A cross-disciplinary research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a suite of programmable materials, including carbon fiber, printed wood grain, textile composites, rubbers and plastics, that self-transform when exposed to an external stimulus. Director of the Self-Assembly Lab, Skylar Tibbits, presented a TED talk on 4D printing in 2013, where he demonstrated how a flat sheet of material could effectively build itself when exposed to water, like a robot without a robot. Following positive feedback from industries including aviation, automotive and manufacturing, his lab has been working on developing materials that change according to different activation sources, including heat, light, and air pressure, in addition to water – all of which have automotive relevance.

Mercedes 300SL Gullwing – the return

Gullwing GmbH are to create a faithful reproduction of the iconic Mercedes 300SL Gullwing The 1950s Mercedes 300SL Gullwing is an iconic car. Remembered affectionately by those old enough to remember it first time round (which I actually don’t!) and associated in the minds of car nuts with Sir Stirling Moss and his exploits in the Mille Miglia (it seems every classic Gullwing that comes on the market is somehow miraculously ‘Driven by Stirling Moss’), it is the epitome of ‘Cool Car’. The huge appeal of the classic Gullwing is also responsible for the direction of the new Mercedes SLS, which pays huge homage to the design of the original.

Bugatti sell their 400th Veyron – just 50 left to go. But what next for Bugatti?

The 400th Veyron – a Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille Special Edition Bugatti may have come to rely on ‘Special Edition’ Veyrons to keep making sales, but they’re now getting close to the end of their production run. The Veyron – which debuted in 2005 – is limited to a total of 300 coupes and 150 Roadsters, and all the coupes are long gone with just the Roadsters left to finish their run, and only 50 of are those left to sell. Not surprisingly, the 400th Veyron to be sold – the latest Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille Special Edition – went to a client in the Middle East at a hefty €2.14 million which, at a rates of around one a week sold for the last eight years, means the Veyron will be consigned to the Bugatti history book by the end of 2014.