National 710493 Seal, Front Axle Shaft-axle Shaft Seal on 2040-parts.com

Bungling thief caught after stealing hire car's steering wheel

A DIM-WITTED criminal has been convicted of theft after stealing parts of a brand new Audi A3 hire car and replacing them with old bits taken from his much older Audi S3. Alexander Keating, a 23-year-old former bodyshop technician who lost his job following the conviction, stole parts as obvious as the steering wheel and gear knob from the A3 that his mum had hired after damaging her car in an accident. Keating foolishly believed no one would notice the battered old steering wheel on the otherwise shiny, new car, but sure enough the mismatched parts were spotted and the hapless bungler was caught by the car hire firm’s bespoke anti-fraud team Asset Protection Unit (APU).

Hamann Motorsport tie-dyes McLaren MP4-12C

Tuner Hamann Motorsport is going after BMW's art car with its new creation. The colorful memoR package for the McLaren MP4-12C turns the angry supercar into a Technicolor rolling sculpture for Timothy Leary fans. Of course, this car is from Hamann, so it's equipped with a carbon-fiber body kit.

2014 Kia Forte trims, slims, adds FlexSteer

The all-new 2014 Kia Forte debuted at the LA Auto Show in November, and it will hit dealerships in the first quarter of this year. Powertrains and trims are consolidated, the interior is updated and the small sedan will now feature something called FlexSteer, which adjusts the weight of the wheel from comfort to normal to sport. Equipment on the second-generation sedan will rival that of almost any of the luxury brands, even in base trim.