Hurst Super Comp Shifter on 2040-parts.com

E85 makes inroads on cost and availability

Three years ago, we embarked on a Midwest road trip in search of what was then the Holy Grail of fuel: E85. Our findings weren't too positive--there were far more E85-compatible vehicles on the road in 2006 (5 million) than there were E85 pumps to fuel them (about 700 out of some 200,000 fuel stations nationwide). In addition, those burning the mix of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol were paying a pretty penny for their earth-friendly ways, losing about 15 percent in fuel economy while often paying the same price as for regular unleaded.

Maserati SUV & two new Maserati Quattroportes confirmed

'Baby' Maserati Quattroporte Maserati are about to be the recipients of some of the benefits (if you care to see them as such) of the input of Chrysler, with a Maserati SUV and two new Quattroportes planned to replace the current Maserati Quattroporte over the next few years, thanks to the availability of Chrysler’s platforms and engines. Revealing plans to increase Maserati sales almost ten fold – from under 6,000 a year to over 50,000 – Sergio Marchionne has said Maserati will introduce two new cars to replace the ageing Maserati Quattroporte. It’s felt that the current Quattroporte falls between two stools – it’s too big to be a proper drivers car and too small to be a proper chauffeur car.

2013 Ford Mondeo: Paris 2012

Ford has given the new Mondeo its first public outing at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, and it looks a good effort. But the new 2013 Ford Mondeo no longer has the advantage of being a default buy for families, so Ford are working hard to make the Mondeo stand out from the mainstream offerings in the C/D segment by making it appear to more ‘Premium’ than just a mere Ford. That means a new nose – a nose that looks like it belongs on an Aston Martin – and a clever range of technology and engines that actually offer more – and for less – than most of the premium car makers can manage.