Mazda Rx2 Rx3 *factory-gear-shift* on 2040-parts.com

Autonomous emergency braking mandatory in Europe by 2014

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is set to become mandatory as a result of new European regulations. From 2014 Euro NCAP – the organization responsible for conducting independent assessment of vehicle safety performance – will amend its reports and no car will gain a five-star rating without AEB. It's hoped an increased use of the system will cut down on front-end impacts as well as pedestrian injuries.

New Suzuki Swift (2011) revealed

The 2011 Suzuki Swift revealed After a few leaked and spy pictures cropped up, Suzuki has decided to do the sensible thing and stick out some detail and an official picture to feed interest in the new Suzuki Swift, which is due to go on sale in the Autumn. The new Swift is bigger than the current car – 90mm longer and an extra 50mm in the wheelbase – but despite that it’s both lighter and stiffer which means more room, more performance and better dynamics. When the new Swift launches the existing 1.3 litre lump will be replaced by a new 1.2 litre Dual VVT producing 92bhp and 87lb’ft of torque.

A look at Toyota future products

Toyota has slipped behind competitors in drivetrain technology and now must play catch-up against the likes of Ford, Hyundai and Mazda. Much of Toyota's lag stems from engineering resources being diverted by the unintended acceleration crisis and other quality miscues in the past two years. Now expect Toyota to focus more on turbocharging and direct injection, and it may even bring a couple of diesels to the United States as part of midcycle changes.