Sherman 8130-99-0 Grille Toyota Avalon on 2040-parts.com

BMW set to debut diesel 7-series in the US

While Mercedes-Benz has let us Americans buy diesel versions of its flagship sedan from time to time, BMW has kept a number of versions of the 7-series from our shores, among which are 7-series sedans with diesel engines. Well, it looks like we'll finally be getting a diesel 7-series after all, with the arrival of the 740Ld later this spring. The 740Ld will be powered by a 3.0-liter inline-six diesel engine with a single turbocharger with variable vane turbine technology, making 255-hp and 413 lb-ft of torque, and will be coupled exclusively with BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive system.

Design Services: Car Menu launched

Within almost every automotive design department throughout the world, their comes a time when a junior designer is dispatched to find a picture of some new model's tail lamp, the side view of a particular class leading competitor or examples of several new cars' colour and trim packages. Whilst looking at the competition is not necessarily a healthy way of finding ideas, it is often essential to demonstrate what is feasible, check in-house proposals are not too derivative, or show how advanced a design theme is relative to the same type of cars on the market. But even if the particular aspect of a car can be found, press packs and magazines typically show cars in the flattering light of an exotic location or being drifted around a corner on opposite lock; rarely are these images particularly useful.

Gurney cars lead record list of entries at Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

The acceptance letters went out this week for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the vintage racing weekend formerly known as the Monterey Historics, and it looks as if you'll get your money's worth out of this year's event. While previous years usually featured about 400 or so cars, the 2010 running of the renamed Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, managed now by SCRAMP, will feature 520 vintage entries. Leading the pack is what promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime collection of 35 cars either designed, built or raced by the great Dan Gurney, this year's honoree.