Motion Pro Jumbo Chain Tool Kit 08-0135 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 S63 AMG Coupe: OFFICIAL

The new Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe (pictured) get 577bhp The production version of the Mercedes S-Class Coupe only arrived last month, but Mercedes has already moved the S-Class Coupe forward with the reveal today of the Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe ahead of its debut at the New York Auto Show next month. Looking, perhaps for the first time, real competition for the Bentley Continental GT, the S63 AMG Coupe has proper presence and looks set to the the benchmark in its class, something the old CL63 AMG never really managed. Power comes from AMG’s twin-turbo 5.5 litre V8 with 577bhp – up 37bhp on the CL 63 AMG – and 663lb/ft of torque, enough to hit 62mph in 4.3 seconds, despite which it comes with an official economy rating of 27.4mpg.

New car sales up for 28th consecutive month

THE STEADY ADVANCE of new car sales shows no sign of slowing down. There were 228,291 new registrations in June, a 6.2% rise on the total for June 2013, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. Last month was the 28th consecutive month of growth and means that sales for the year so far have reached more than 1.28 million - a 10.6% rise on the first six months of last year.