Nos German Volkswagen Type 2 Split Window Bus Handle Escutcheon W/sliding Door on 2040-parts.com

SEMA ups scholarship money for car-crazed college kids

The Specialty Equipment Market Association, better known to most of us as SEMA, has announced a hefty boost to its SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund for 2013: The top student selected now gets $1,000 more for a total of $5,000 toward an automotive-related college education. Other eligible participants in four-year programs get $3,000—last year, they only received $2,000—and two-year students get their funds doubled to $2,000. In the Buckeye State, one lucky student at the Ohio Technical College will get complete tuition coverage, which is a cool $29,400.

Carbon-fiber parts and a software fix help create a lighter, faster Fiat

Chrysler Group's Mopar parts brand and Italian supplier Magneti Marelli have teamed up on a design exercise based on the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth that shaved weight and added horsepower. The vehicle, called the Venom, has a number of carbon fiber components -- hood and side mirrors, for example -- that makes it about 200 pounds lighter than the 2,512-pound Abarth. The Venom uses software updates and additional exhaust components to boost the Abarth's standard 160-hp 1.4-liter turbocharged engine's output by as much as 25 percent.

Meeke Makes Magic Monte Debut

A LITTLE over a decade since a Brit last stood on the podium in Monte Carlo, works Citroen driver Kris Meeke finished the opening round of the 2014 World Rally Championship in third place. After enduring rain, snow and challenging road conditions, Meeke finished an impressive third in his DS3 rally car behind 2013 champion and Monte winner Sebastien Ogier’s Volkswagen Polo and local hero and Ford privateer Bryan Bouffier. The dream result comes after Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle were handed a full works drive by the ultra successful Citroen team at the end of last year.