Leaf Spring Insulator - Carded Fits 1988-1996 Pontiac Grand Prix Dorman - on 2040-parts.com

Ford and Dow Chemical to experiment with carbon fiber

Ford is hatching a weight-loss plan for its cars and trucks that should result in a 750-pound-per-car weight reduction before the end of the decade. The company even hired a “personal trainer,” Dow Chemical, to help it get there. So, what's their plan?

Opel/Vauxhall Cascada [w/gallery]

The Opel/Vauxhall Cascada effectively replaces the Astra Twin Top, but attempts to move the model upmarket as a separate product line. It has moved up a size to reflect its prestige aspirations: at 4,697 mm long and 1,840 mm wide, it's longer than an Audi A5. Like many of the latest generation of convertibles, the Cascada ditches a folding solid hardtop in favor of a lighter, more space-efficient and cheaper soft fabric set-up.

Refreshed 2014 Chevrolet Malibu arrives

Just a bit more than a year after launching the 2013 Malibu, Chevrolet took the wraps off its revised 2014 Malibu, saying the car is roomier (1.25 extra inches in the rear seat), more refined and more efficient than the outgoing model. The car gets a fresh face, revised interior, and a new 2.5-liter four standard. The 2.5-liter I-4 is direct injected and has variable valve lift control and start/stop for 196 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque.