Honda Ridgeline Grill on 2040-parts.com

Webinars: Defining the boundary between Technical and Concept Surfacing using Alias

CDN hosted a new webinar entitled 'Defining the boundary between Technical and Concept Surfacing using Autodesk Alias' on October 13, 2011. The online seminar was especially relevant for design engineers (from aerospace and consumer product industries as well as automotive), for surface modelers, and for lead designers who need to understand the differences between concept surfacing and Class A surfacing. The webinar is now available to view in our archive.

Tesla asks NHTSA to investigate fires

In response to concerns following a recent accident which appeared to result from road debris damaging the underside of a battery compartment of a Tesla Model S, causing a fire in the engine compartment, the company has announced that it has requested that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conduct a full investigation into the fire incidents. In a blog post, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote the following about the investigation: "While we think it is highly unlikely, if something is discovered that would result in a material improvement in occupant fire safety, we will immediately apply that change to new cars and offer it as a free retrofit to all existing cars. Given that the incidence of fires in the Model S is far lower than combustion cars and that there have been no resulting injuries, this did not at first seem like a good use of NHTSA's time compared to the hundreds of gasoline fire deaths per year that warrant their attention." Tesla has also released a software update to the cars which will maintain their standard ride height at highway speeds, preventing the air suspension from lowering the car an extra inch at highway speeds for greater aerodynamic efficiency.

Mopar offers high-performance parts for 2013 SRT Viper

Mopar is introducing a group of high-performance parts for the 2013 SRT Viper, which begins production next month. Braces, coil-overs, exhaust systems and more will be available when the first car rolls off the line. A performance cross car engine X-brace will cost $3,175.