New Elwis Engine Valve Cover Gasket, 1556083 on 2040-parts.com

Petrolhead spiders cause Mazda recall

Mazda has had to recall 42,000 vehicles in the US after it emerged that a species of spider had been weaving webs in fuel vent hoses, increasing the risk of fuel leaks and fires. The yellow sac spider’s curious domestic activities cause a build-up of pressure in the evaporative fuel vent that – in theory at least – could result in a cracked fuel tank and therefore an increased risk of fire. This isn’t the first time that the Mazda 6 has received the unwanted advances of a gas-guzzling arachnid, either – three years ago Mazda had to recall over 50,000 cars for precisely the same reason.

Opel Ampera – Official picture ahead of Geneva

GM really needs the Chevy Volt/Opel Ampera to be well received. The problem is that the technology for the car doesn’t even exist yet, unless of course GM have made huge strides they’re about to reveal when the car gets fully unveiled at Geneva ’09 tomorrow. But it’s not a proper reveal, in the sense that the Ampera will be ready to sell.

Mercedes C-class facelift (2011) first pictures

Mercedes has facelifted the C-class - and the new one arrives in UK dealers in March 2011. It's a classic mild Merc facelift, with a cosmetic polish-up and a raft of more detailed engineering changes. It looks like a subtle upgrade, but Merc says more than 2000 new components are fitted.