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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.

Honda CR-Z at Detroit motor show 2010

Honda has today debuted the production version of its CR-Z hybrid sports coupe at the 2010 Detroit motor show. The styling is inspired by the old CRX, but under the skin the CR-Z is pure 21st century hybrid. Featuring a 1.5-litre petrol engine with 108bhp and 71lb ft torque, the CR-Z produces 122bhp and 128lb ft in total thanks to the boost provided by its IMA parallel hybrid system.

Audi introduces stop-start for auto ‘boxes

Audi is introducing stop-start on the A3 with auto 'box. Audi launched stop-start on some of their cars back in May, and now they’ve announced that they are to fit stop-start to A3s equipped with the S tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission, which is big step in the right direction now auto boxes are so good and the option of an auto ‘box is high on many buyers’ priority list. The stop-start is going to be made available on the A3 1.6 TDI and A3 1.4 TFSI.