Mountneer 2003 Spare Wheel Carrier 577391 on 2040-parts.com

General Motors' R&D chief Larry Burns, PR boss Steve Harris set to retire

General Motors, following through with plans to shake up management after exiting bankruptcy, said r&d chief Larry Burns and public relations boss Steve Harris will retire. Burns, 58, will be replaced by Alan Taub. Harris, who came out of retirement more than three years ago, will yield his job to Chris Preuss, 43, vice president in charge of General Motors Europe communications.

Hyundai i30

Though CDN was invited to attend a preview of the all-new Hyundai i30 ahead of its official unveiling at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, these are the only images we're able to show you of the Korean automaker's C-segment hatchback until next week. "Through the profile of the new generation i30, a strong character line runs over the front and rear wheelarches all the way to the tail lamps," says Thomas Bürkle, Chief Designer at Hyundai Motor Europe. "A softer, lower character line rises up the car's flank creating a play of light and shadow - a fundamental feature of fluidic sculpture." The next evolution of the current i30 will be shown alongside the new i40 saloon and the new 1+2 door Veloster coupe on the company's Frankfurt show stand, which is claimed to reflect Hyundai's new brand direction - 'New Thinking, New Possibilities'.

For new CAFE rules, automakers place high-stakes tech bets

Game-changing 2015 fuel economy rules are forcing vehicle development teams to make high-stakes bets on expensive technologies--bets that will separate the winners from the also-rans. Not only do federal rules target a 2015 fleet average of 35.5 mpg, up from the current 27.5 mpg for cars and 23.1 mpg for light trucks; they force automakers to bet on different technology packages for each vehicle segment. Companies that do best at mixing technologies while keeping down costs will have an advantage when buyers wince at higher stickers.