Nissan Serena 1996 Front Left Strut [2450210] on 2040-parts.com

China automaker Brilliance halts Europe exports, executives say

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd., BMW AG's partner in China, has halted its car exports to Europe after its BS4 and BS6 sedan met with a cool reception, and there is no timetable for a resumption, senior executives said on Thursday. The head of Brilliance's former importer for Europe, Hans-Ulrich Sachs, told Automotive News Europe in March that another reason the automaker struggled is because it refused to lower the starting prices on the BS6 and BS4. "They didn't want to lose any money per car," said Sachs, the former boss of the now dissolved import company HSO Motors Europe.

Alfa MiTo TwinAir arrives

Alfa Romeo has bolted the 875cc TwinAir engine from the Fiat 500 in to the MiTo to produce a congestion charge busting new MiTo. The new Alfa Romeo MiTo TwinAir is a logical move by Alfa to produce a MiTo with green credentials but which still offer a decent drive and a dose of fun. In the Fiat 500, the TwinAir engine is a bit of a hoot, sounding a bit like a cross between a lawnmower and a 2-stroke and with bags of character and lively to boot.

Stop-Start Freelander on the way

Land Rover has announced that it will be introducing stop-start technology on its Freelander range from May 2009, thus saving around 8% on the Co2 emissions, and taking the Freelander down a group on VED, which should help move a few more Freelanders off forecourts next year. The technology for the stop-start was developed in-house, with a new engine management system coming from Bosch and an uprated starter from Denso. The stop-start option will be available on the 2.2 TD4, which accounts for nearly half of UK sales.