Large Lighted Compass on 2040-parts.com

M4 junction to close over tailbacks

A JUNCTION of the M4 motorway in south Wales will be closed as part of a trial to cut traffic tailbacks. The closure of junction 41 at Port Talbot starts this summer and aims to reduce congestion in both directions. Wales' Economy and Transport Minister Edwina Hart said studies predicted it would increase the capacity of the M4 by 11% westbound and 2% eastbound.

Porsche buyers put the brakes on stop-start technology

By Chris Chilton Motor Industry 23 June 2008 18:56 Direct injection and a clever new PDK dual-clutch gearbox have cemented the new 911’s reputation as the greenest performance car around, but Porsche engineers are being hampered from making the iconic sports car even cleaner by the public’s reluctance to accept further green technology Engineers at the launch of the facelifted 911 told CAR that fitting a BMW-style start-stop system could chop a further 10g/km from the Carrera’s 225g/km CO2 rating but that performance car buyers weren’t keen on having such overtly planet-conscious tech on their cars. Start-stop works by cutting the engine when the car’s stationary in traffic, and restarting automatically when you touch the pedals to move off again. Every manual transmission-equipped BMW 1-series comes with the technology, excepting the truly high performance versions.

Ex-Ford engineer charged with stealing trade secrets

A former Ford Motor Co. engineer has been charged with stealing trade secrets from the automaker after accepting a job in China in 2006. Xiang Dong Yu, 47, was arrested Wednesday at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago after traveling to the United States from China.