Moog Es800664a Tie Rod-steering Tie Rod End Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Tokyo Auto Salon pits performance autos against hybrids

The world's other big January auto show, the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, opened its doors to tuner enthusiasts in mid-month with a record 402 exhibitors. The Auto Salon fuses numerous styles, but the overriding theme this year was hybrid cars, with customized Toyota Priuses and Honda Insights at every turn. Good old-fashioned engine tuning is alive and well in Japan, where even new sports cars are being heavily modified, with cars such as the KRL Mitsubishi Evolution X and the HKS Nissan GT-R both boasting in excess of 600 hp.

New Mercedes A Class #YOUDRIVE advert plugs in to X Factor

Mercedes are continuing some innovative marketing for the new A Class with the #YOUDRIVE campaign launching during X Factor. That must have worked to a degree – certainly as far as the Twitter aspect goes – as Mercedes is having another outing with another hashtag – #YouDrive – and a new marketing campaign for the A Class where viewers ’control’ the advert they’re seeing. Mercedes is kicking off the #YouDrive campaign during X Factor next Saturday (5th October) with a three part story featuring the tale of a young music star trying to get to a secret gig the authorities want to close down (Germans advocating the defying of authority?

Mini aims to add 3 models by decade's end

BMW's Mini brand will add three models by the end of the decade, said Kay Segler, Mini's global boss. Segler would not disclose details about the models but said they will likely use an all-new BMW Group front-wheel-drive platform that debuts with the second-generation Mini Cooper hardtop in 2014. The added vehicles will bring the number of Mini models to 10.