Lr063255 Torque Converter For Land Rover Range Sport 3.0 D 4x4 2005 1404485- on 2040-parts.com

GM to slash global vehicle platforms by more than half, to 14, by 2018

General Motors says it will cut the number of vehicle platforms it uses globally by more than half over the next decade, in a bid to reduce complexity and save on product-development costs. “More of our components will be common, and more of our vehicles will be on global architectures,” GM CEO Dan Akerson told analysts on Tuesday. His remarks came as GM kicked off a series of presentations online, billed as its 2011 Global Business Conference.

Mercedes-Benz courts Renault for new Smart model based on Twingo

Mercedes-Benz is set to join forces with Renault in a deal aimed at providing its underdeveloped Smart division with a contemporary-engineered front-engine/front-wheel-drive platform as the basis for a frugal new Forfour model. The new Smart, due out in 2013, is planned to sit on a lightly modified version of the Renault Twingo’s underpinnings, complete with a 93.3-inch wheelbase. Speaking about the new car over the weekend, a highly placed Mercedes-Benz official told AutoWeek: “It’s a key component in plans to grow the Smart brand.

One in six drivers 'top 100mph'

ONE IN SIX (17%) of drivers admits to driving at more than 100mph on the motorway regularly in the UK, even though the speed limit is 70mph. More than twice that number (38%) own up to driving at above 90mph, while 11% say they speed at 50mph or more in residential and urban areas where there is a 30mph speed limit. Research by Direct Line shows 61% of drivers have also exceeded the 20mph limit.