Rotax 912 Cast on 2040-parts.com

GM product chief Bob Lutz to retire

GM boss Bob Lutz Retires By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 09 February 2009 17:41 GM boss Bob Lutz will retire at the end of the year. The vice chairman of global product development – who has been at the centre of the automotive industry for the last 46 years – will be replaced by Tom Stephens, GM’s current veepee for global powertrain and global quality. Lutz, 76, will continue to report to GM boss Rick Wagoner throughout 2009 in his new role as GM vice chairman and senior advisor, before bowing out at the end of December.

Bentley Continental Flying Spur (2013) first official pictures

Here’s the second-generation Flying Spur limousine, a refreshingly modernised Bentley that will take the fight to the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Mercedes’ new S-class. The exterior is transformed by crisply pressed surfaces, the interior is packed with cutting-edge multi-media features and the W12 drivetrain promises lashings of extra power and better economy. In fact the Flying Spur, which starts deliveries in June for £140,900, is the fastest and most powerful Bentley four-door in history.

Bridgestone reinvents the wheel

THE WHEEL is being reinvented with the development of an airless tyre for cars that could put an end to punctures and be kinder to the environment. Currently being developed by Bridgestone, the Air-Free Concept Tyre has an exterior tread that looks normal but inside there are plastic spokes that support the outer casing. This does away with the need to pump up the tyres, which means a puncture is no longer a problem as the tyre cannot deflate.