Porsche® 911 Oil Connecting Hose, 1.5 Meter Length, 1972 on 2040-parts.com

Volvo makes breakthrough in battery tech

Volvo has developed a new way of ‘storing’ energy for its future electric vehicles. The Swedish firm is exploring the concept of lightweight structural energy storage components made from carbonfibre, containing “nano structured batteries and super capacitors.” This technology is said to offer a lighter, more compact solution to the problem of energy storage, potentially removing the need for the heavy, bulky batteries used in current electric vehicles. On Bing: see pictures of the Volvo S80 Find out how much a used Volvo S80 costs on Auto Trader The investigation into the new technology is part of an EU-funded research project, undertaken by Volvo – the only major car manufacturer involved – and nine other organisations.

Ford salutes Carroll Shelby with 850-hp GT500 Cobra

The “friends of Carroll Shelby” are saluting the late automotive pioneer with a remarkable, one-off 850-hp GT500 Cobra that was revealed Friday at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Ford Motor Co., Shelby American, Ford Racing and others collaborated on the omnipotent machine, styled in the blue and white colors of the legendary Cobras of the 1960s. It gets a wide body kit, high-performance 13-inch-wide rear wheels and a 4.0-liter Ford Racing supercharger that lifts output from the GT500's usual level of 662 hp.

One Lap of the Web: Remembering the dearly departed

-- With news that Toyota is leaving the great state of California for the greater (by landmass, anyway; your own opinion may vary) state of Texas, it's worth reminding ourselves that Toyota in America started as one lonely building on 6000 Hollywood Blvd., having taken over a former Rambler dealership. (The site is still a successful Toyota dealership.) That first year of sales in 1958 saw 287 Toyopet Crowns and one Land Cruiser sold -- more as curiosities than as practical transportation, we'd wager. -- At any rate, Toyota's move from California to Texas is moving from "one of the most eco-friendly states in the union," according to Ward's Auto, "to the U.S.’s equivalent of China." -- Ten years ago today, the last Oldsmobile rolled off the line at Lansing Car Assembly.