Sky-tec High-torque Inline Lycoming Starter on 2040-parts.com

Alfa Romeo 4C convertible likely for 2015

Conventional wisdom holds that if you want to take on Porsche's 911, you need a convertible variant. And although Alfa Romeo's often marched to the beat of a wonderfully idiosyncratic drummer, it sounds as if it's hewing to general sporting-car rules of thumb with the 4C. According to a report in Britain's Autocar, sources have confirmed that a 4C convertible will follow the launch of the coupe by about a year.

Concept Car of the Week: Volkswagen Microbus (2001)

The turn of the millennium seemed to induce a feeling of nostalgia among car manufacturers and with it a plethora of heritage/retro designs, including the new Mini, new Ford Mustang and Nissan Z. Following the runaway success of its New Beetle, which probably started the trend, VW asked itself whether it could enjoy the same success with a modern interpretation of the legendary T1 Microbus. Designed at the surf-central design studio in Simi Valley, California, the Microbus Concept took ample inspiration from its distant ancestor, but was modernized in every way.

Telematics--It’s What’s For Breakfast: Hyundai, Toyota latest to connect their drivers

Two more carmakers have connected their customers to the cloud. Hyundai introduced its Blue Link platform at the Consumer Telematics Show, held the day before the Consumer Electronics Show opens in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Toyota revealed details of its coming Entune system at CES.