Hayden 2693 Thermal Fan Clutch on 2040-parts.com

Webinars: Autodesk – Virtual Design Workflow in Automotive

The second complimentary Webinar from Autodesk, entitled ‘Virtual Design Workflow in Automotive', has taken place, led by Industry Specialist for Technical Surfacing/Styling Uwe Rossbacher. The design process in the automotive industry focused on virtual models/techniques along with physical 3D models. Each OEM tries to balance both processes in order to get the optimum in efficiency and styling quality.

Crunch watch Dec 08: the auto industry in crisis

By Tim Pollard and Simon Stiel Motor Industry 31 December 2008 14:05 Wednesday 31 December 2008• GMAC, GM's finance arm, said it would immediately revise its criteria for providing loans, after the US government bail-out of the General's credit arm. It will now supply credit for anyone with a score of 621 or more on the Fico scale, the scale used to assess Amercian customers' creditworthiness (Financial Times)• The news means that 80% of US consumers would now qualify for a loan from GMAC – which should improve sales in the depressed US market (Detroit News)• Chrysler is being lambasted for taking out full-page adverts in the American national press thanking the nation for supporting its auto industry. But critics point out this is a fresh waste of bail-out resources, as pages in the Wall Street Journal – one of the titles in which the ad ran – reportedly cost up to $264,000.

Video: Ferrari F70 caught drifting at Fiorano

0-60 tipped us off to this short video of Ferrari's forthcoming Enzo successor drifting its way around Ferrari's Fiorano test track. The F70's V12 can be heard, though there's no evidence of the rumored KERS-like hybrid system. Ferrari tells us to expect a sub-2,500-pound curb weight, and we're also hearing the 920-hp figure bandied about.