New Genuine Kawasaki Zr1000 Zr 1000 Cable Starter 54017-0008 on 2040-parts.com

Vauxhall heads off-road with Insignia Country Tourer

VAUXHALL'S new Insignia Country Tourer will cost from £25,349 when it arrives in the UK in January hot on the heels of the revised Insignia hatch and estate models. The Country Tourer is a soft-roader version of the Insignia Sports Tourer estate model and has an added 30mm of ground clearance, as well as front and rear underbody protection to help on rough tracks. Vauxhall has also fitted the car with extra protective covers for the wheelarches and body sides.

GM SUVs probed by NHTSA after reports of stalling

Federal regulators have opened a safety investigation of as many as 865,000 General Motors SUVs from 2005-07 model years after complaints that inaccurate fuel-gauge readings led to stalling and one accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's preliminary evaluation is looking at 2005-07 Buick Rainiers, 2005-07 Chevrolet TrailBlazer 360s, 2005-06 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT 370s, 2005-07 GMC Envoy 360s, 2005-06 GMC Envoy XL 370s and 2005-07 Saab 9-7Xs. NHTSA said in a posting Friday that it has received 668 complaints of inaccurate fuel-gauge readings, 58 of which involved stalling vehicles.

Concept Car of the Week: Honda Kiwami (2003)

As part of Honda's exploration into new, clean-performing technologies, the Kiwami concept was created to test public acceptance of the idea of a large, fuel cell-powered luxury sedan.  Unveiled in 2003, the simple yet striking design seemed like a Japanese twist on the Renault Vel Satis concept, which shared a similar wedge profile, wide stance and minimalist approach.  However, the Kiwami found its own interpretation of modern luxury, expressed through elegantly integrated technology rather than with crystal champagne glasses.  Up front, a full-width LED strip headlamp sat flush with the flat bonnet and the rectangular bumper to create a design of primitive beauty.  Further examples of the same simple Japanese aesthetic are found around the car, including the uncluttered body panels and a full-width tail-lamp graphic that matched the front theme.  The dramatic proportions of the interior were closely related to the package of the hydrogen power plant. Unlike other manufacturers at the time, Honda engineers did not create a 'skateboard' fuel cell chassis below the cabin. Instead, a sideways H-shaped layout for the control unit, ultracapacitor, fuel cell stack, hydrogen storage and other components was used, helping to create a lower center of gravity.