New Nordic Ball Joint, 31201485 on 2040-parts.com

VW Golf (2012) - prices for new Mk7 Golf from £16,330

Volkswagen today announced prices for the new Mk7 Golf. It'll start from £16,330 on-the-road - and the good news is, that's cheaper than the outgoing Mk6 Golf which today kicks off at £16,425. CAR's been saying for some years that the new MQB architecture underpinning the new VW Golf, and indeed the rest of the VW Group's mid-sized cars from Seats to Skodas, would be cheaper to produce.

Ford brings stop/start system to U.S.

Ford will equip many of its U.S. cars and SUVs with stop/start technology, beginning in 2012, which automatically shuts down the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop, cutting down on fuel use and emissions. The technology, which Ford calls Auto Start-Stop, will be available with either manual or automatic transmissions.

Fiat 500 gets dressed up by Mopar

Chrysler is cranking up its Mopar parts unit to make it easier to customize the diminutive Fiat 500. Mopar will have more than 150 parts for the Fiat, including a Wi-Fi router to turn your microcar into a wireless hot spot. "The Fiat 500 is one of the most accessorized vehicles in Europe," said Pietro Gorlier, president and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC's service, parts and customer-care brand.