Lancia Beta Berlina S3 + Trevi Right Front Indic Lens on 2040-parts.com

DIY Car Repairs in London

DIY car repairs in the dry are now a reality in London In those days I would have given anything to have access to a warm, dry garage, with hoists and tools, where I could turn up, fix what had to be fixed, and stay dry in the process. Well, the days of laying prostrate under a car in the freezing cold are long gone for me, but for many, especially in these difficult financial times, DIY car repairs are a necessity. So there should be a bit of a cheer going up in London today as what are believed to be the first DIY garage facilities in Europe open for business in Acton, North London.

One Lap of the Web: Remembering the dearly departed

-- With news that Toyota is leaving the great state of California for the greater (by landmass, anyway; your own opinion may vary) state of Texas, it's worth reminding ourselves that Toyota in America started as one lonely building on 6000 Hollywood Blvd., having taken over a former Rambler dealership. (The site is still a successful Toyota dealership.) That first year of sales in 1958 saw 287 Toyopet Crowns and one Land Cruiser sold -- more as curiosities than as practical transportation, we'd wager. -- At any rate, Toyota's move from California to Texas is moving from "one of the most eco-friendly states in the union," according to Ward's Auto, "to the U.S.’s equivalent of China." -- Ten years ago today, the last Oldsmobile rolled off the line at Lansing Car Assembly.

Design and Technology at Siggraph 2008

From 11-15 August over 28,000 artists, research scientists, developers, filmmakers, and academics from around the world gathered in Los Angeles for the 35th Siggraph Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. The Siggraph conference includes courses and technical paper presentations, new technologies demos, an art gallery, computer animation festival, and an exhibition by software and hardware vendors. While the New Tech Demos and the technical programs are focussed on technologies that designers will have to wait several years for, several automotive software and hardware suppliers announced new shipping products at Siggraph.