Nos Sable Trunk Deck Emblem 2000 2001 2002 2003 Mercury-new Ford Part-badge-lid on 2040-parts.com

Ford eyes dandelions as sustainable alternative to synthetic rubber

Ford, in conjunction with Ohio State University, is turning to the humble garden weed as sustainable resource, researching the dandelion's potential use as an alternative to synthetic rubber. While the automaker already makes considerable use of sustainable materials in its vehicles – such as soy foam seat cushions and straw-filled plastic for interior trim – this latest discovery opens up a wealth of new possibilities for automotive applications. According to research conducted by Ford, a milky-white substance that is found in certain dandelion roots can produce a sustainable rubber that could be used to create plastic parts for vehicle interiors.

VW Golf GTI (2013) first pictures of Mk7 GTI

VW's evergreen Golf GTI hot hatch is back for the seventh time, sporting its highest-ever power output, performance and economy. You can choose a regular 217bhp GTI or upgrade to 227bhp with a 'performance pack', and fuel economy is said to be 18% better than the Mk6 GTI's. It's on sale this spring, priced around £26k.

Partnership Premium 2030 - Part 2

Strate College has released the second episode in its five-part mini-series documenting a project students have undertaken in partnership with French automaker Peugeot: creating a premium vehicle for the year 2030. This second video delves into the 2D sketching phase of the project as 30 students – divided into 10 groups – devise their exterior and interior designs as well as the associated products and color and trim details for a future Peugeot. The video outlines the stage as students develop the overall proportions of the exterior and interior designs, and follows the teams as they choose the textures for materials that will feature in the interior.