Johnson/evinrude/omc New Oem Outboard Bearing Housing Screw, 0316564, 0320041 on 2040-parts.com

BMW 1 Series dead in US after 2013

With its successor set to bow at the Detroit Auto Show in a couple of months' time, word's come down from BMW that 2013 will indeed be the end of the line for the BMW 1 Series — at least in the US. It will remain available elsewhere in the world as a three-door and five-door hatch. The coupe and convertible, meanwhile, are being replaced by the 2 Series, in convention with BMW's new naming scheme.

Volkswagen CrossBlue SUV Concept: 2013 Detroit Auto Show

Volkswagen has revealed a new SUV concept – the VW Crossblue – at the Detroit Auto show, previewing a new 7-seat SUV for North America. But this particular VW SUV isn’t heading to a VW showroom near you, instead it’s designed to accommodate seven full-size Americans (well, six in the concept and seven in the production version) in an SUV that will be bigger than the Touareg, but less costly. Sitting on the (obviously very flexible, considering the size of the CrossBlue) MQB platform that underpins the Golf, the CrossBlue looks like it’s probably a stretched version of the next generation Tiguan, complete with VWs new SUV design language featuring a less flowing style with more angular lines and a blunt, statement nose.

NHTSA upgrades probe into Jeep fuel tanks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has upgraded its investigation into the fuel tank on three Jeep models to an engineering analysis, another step toward what could become a recall. Safety advocates say the location of the fuel tank, mounted behind the rear axle, makes it prone to catching fire in the event of a rear crash. The investigation covers Jeep Grand Cherokees built between 1993 and 2004, Jeep Cherokees built between 1993 and 2001, and Jeep Liberty SUVs built between 2002 and 2007.