Ingersoll Rand 325 Sheet Metal Nibbler on 2040-parts.com

Ford, GM work together on new nine-, 10-speed transmissions

Ford Motor Co. and General Motors are developing nine- and 10-speed transmissions jointly for use in cars, crossovers, pickups and SUVs. The rivals say partnering on the automatic front- and rear-wheel-drive gearboxes will get them to market faster and cheaper than each automaker could do on its own.

Explosion at GM Tech Center; lithium battery is the suspected cause

According to WWJ CBS Detroit, there was an explosion at the General Motors Tech Center in Warren, Mich., on Wednesday morning. Deputy Fire Chief Gary Wilkinson said the explosion most likely was related to a lithium battery. Wilkinson told Autoweek that a responder notified the HAZMAT team via radio that the explosion involved lithium batteries in the research facility's Alternative Energy Center.

Chrysler 300

The Detroit Motor Show will see Chrysler unveil its 2011 300. Whilst benefiting from an extensive exterior refresh, the platform on which it is based remains unchanged, meaning that this 2011 model is little more than a face-lifted variant of the car that joined us in 2004. The exterior of the 300 loses some of its forbearer's sinister styling; its imposing face has been substituted in favor of a softer, more rounded style, intersected only by the muscular wheel arches.