Hooker Blackheart Bhs542 Transmission Crossmember Gen Lll Hemi Swap 97-02 Dakota on 2040-parts.com

Defending an old-school Land Rover

I don't know how to respond today after seeing on our very own homepage that the Land Rover people will bring the successor of its beloved Defender to the United States market. The Defender is a vehicle about which “lust” is an insufficiently weak noun or verb; current and vintage Defenders elicit something beyond an emotive response. They are visceral.

Kia Optima T-Hybrid concept revealed ahead of Paris debut

Kia Optima T-Hybrid concept revealed ahead of Paris debut It looks like Kia is ready to push the start button on a new range of mild hybrids with the reveal of the Kia Optima T-Hybrid concept ahead of its debut later this week at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. The new mild hybrid powertrain isn’t going to make an enormous difference to power or economy, but in a world where taxation gets based on official CO2 figures it will make the Optima more appealing to company car buyers. The Optima hybrid gets the normal 1.7 litre diesel engine and adds a small electric motor powered by a 48V lead-carbon battery which will be enough for short running at low speeds on electric power alone or allow some electric ‘cruising’ on motorways.

Renault is reviving the Gordini name for high-performance models

They don't sell Renaults in the United States anymore, but it's worth noting that the French automaker is reviving the Gordini name for high-performance versions of the Twingo and the Clio. The name pays homage to Amedee Gordini, a mechanical whiz known as "the sorcerer" for taking production-car engines and making them competitive on the great racetracks of Europe. The Gordini versions of the Twingo and the Clio will wear the trademark light blue paint with a pair of white stripes running from nose to tail and centered over the driver.